Mechanic Rises
by Bow Echo
Summary: An alternate narrative post Legacy and before Escape Proof where romance blossoms within IR and a new threat takes one of their own.
1. Chapter 1

Mechanic Rises

Ch. 1

A month had passed since the capture of The Hood and the Tracy household were enjoying an extended vacation, there had been rescues, not many now he was behind bars but a fair few over the first few weeks. The usual routine call outs when other rescue agencies could not make it in time to save lives, a collapsed mine in South Africa, a diver left behind on a tourist excursion in the Indian Ocean and a group of scientists requiring an emergency airlift off an erupting volcano in South America, all dangerous in their own way but the threat level had gone from their outings now he was out of the picture. In the last week they had only been called on once allowing a relaxed air to descend upon the normally adrenalin filled family. Only four of the large extended family unit were at home, each enjoying their own brand of relaxation.

Brains, the resident genius was in the inner bowls of the house work his only company. He would not rest or take a day off even after the arrest of The Hood. His motivation was to continue to invent and improve on technologies that would hopefully make the world a cleaner and safer place. Once his current job was complete he was planning to tinker on some of his own projects, utopia, to join again with similar minds and challenge each one until the next great innovation of the world is born. He had worked on several projects with others in the past and then slipped from their community when International Rescue was conceived, secrecy had been imperative. Over the past couple of months he had been reminded by Professor Moffat of the thrill of research & development with other great minds. He smiled, yes it may well be a quiet spell on the island but he would relax in other ways preferring work to the tedium of small talk. He was a little distracted by these thoughts while in the lab making last minute adjustments to the Thunderbird Five upgrade that was soon to be installed by John & Alan Tracy the space obsessed contingent of the clan. Not distracted enough to make errors of course but he could not wait until he received the prototypes he had been promised by his old Cambridge Professor. Technology had progressed and the world had changed since they had first worked on these ideas with his post graduate colleagues and he was certain that with things quieting down on the Island that this was the perfect time to take another look. He drifted back from his thoughts and got back to the job in hand "John, Alan all c...c...completed this end, install can c...commence." Brains instructed the crew of Thunderbird Five.

With Alan on Five working with John and Virgil away with Grandma on the mainland getting supplies and enjoying a short break the house was quieter than it had been in a long time. Virgil had drawn the short straw literally, although none of the boys would ever admit to her that they had drawn lots! Deal done he was now her taxi driver for the day so she could catch up with old friends. This left Scott at work on the boring side of the Tracy business wishing that John would interrupt him with something much more interesting and Kayo sparring with Gordon on a training session round the pool. The chance of a serious session being held was limited if Gordon was anywhere near water so Scott was surprised that they weren't in the gym but even Kayo had taken her foot off the gas a little. The noise they were making meant it surely couldn't really be one of her more challenging sessions he could not resist the urge to take a look. Scott surveyed the scene below from the large window overlooking the pool area, the shouts and laughs from below were getting louder. Kayo and his brother were larking about, he had never seen her so carefree the weight of the world has been lifted off her slender shoulders now that her secret was out. He liked it, a new happier Kayo, he watched as she shifted her weight from where she had Gordon pinned and then launched him into the pool. Gordon came up spluttering and laughing "Nice one sis." she looked over at him "Well you deserved it! You are not taking this seriously." Scott laughed to himself, god she was beautiful, strong, loyal and well just so incredibly amazing. He couldn't quite remember when she had started to invade his waking thoughts in this way although she had been hanging around in his dreams for quite some time. When she had crashed Shadow? Maybe, that was when he had if only for an instant thought he had lost her and he had screamed her name in a voice that he barely recognised. "Shit …Shit.." he reprimanded himself "Get over it!" and he left the window and walked off to the office to lose himself in spreadsheets, budgets and force himself out of his rather inconvenient thoughts.

Kayo knew she was being watched and was surprised to find quite liked it, she had previously liked to hang around the outskirts of her adopted family, watching them, part of them but holding back. Now, a few weeks after her uncle had been taken away by the GDF months of angst, guilt and anger had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt free and trusted, they had all forgiven her, they all loved her and now more than ever before in her short but rather adventurous life she was happy. She risked a glance up to the window he was still there watching them … or her? No! Just her imagination she decided. He was smiling at both of them while they play fought round the pool. Since the day after Mateo Island the weight that had been dragging her down had been replaced by a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, nausea and inexplicably very strange feelings towards the eldest Tracy. It had meant so much to her the trust he had shown her when her uncle had been trying to drive a wedge between her and her family. She looked at him differently now, he was handsome but he always was, something had changed. She would get over it she had to; she had had crushes before even on him when he first came back from the Air Force and she truly hoped it would pass they usually did. Then she knew without looking that he was no longer watching and she felt strangely disappointed. "Shit, … Kayo ... for god's sake get a grip!"

Gordon looked at her "You OK? You have gone quiet. Are you just lulling me into a false sense of security?" He laughed.

She stumbled out of her thoughts "No … err … It's just time for a perimeter check, in fact I've been having so much fun with you I should have been on it 20 minutes ago. You're on your own fish, time to start working on your lap times."

"F-A-B" he shouted after her grinning.

Preliminary scans checked out so she took Shadow out 125 miles from the Island for an outlying perimeter check, god she adored flying the solitude, the control she could have stayed out for hours but all scans were complete and there was nothing to report, she could not resist the chance to feel a little G-force on the way home just to push her bird. A steep climb, barrel rolls and sharp decent pulling up meters above the ocean it was invigorating. Things had been too quiet for International Rescue recently and she missed the rush of adrenalin of the rescues and covert ops. She had been promised by her uncle that something or someone was on its way, the way he had smiled at her, taking his parting shoot she understood that it would test her and her adopted family to their limits and she had sort of expected an immediate introduction. Her uncle never made empty threats it was on its way she knew it.

A distraction of some sort would definitely be a welcome return and stop her playing over and over what he had said. It hadn't helped that with the others away the house was quiet too. Maybe a little down time was what they all needed she thought jumping out of the cockpit into the hanger although she wasn't convinced it was good for them to be inactive for long. What had Gordon said at the pool? _A false sense of security_ , he may have been talking about her but it's how she felt right now. She patted her bird as she left and went to her room to run the software scans and install the security upgrade. There was nothing out of the ordinary so she flipped back onto her bed and listened to some Bowie, no amount of time could blur the genius of this man. He had died in 2016 just a few years before her mother had been born but his music had more than lived on, Grandma had introduced her to his talents and he had become one of her favourites. She was singing now and didn't think anyone was listening so louder and louder. "Life on Maaaaaaa aars." her favourite track, the lyrics totally amazed her. She wasn't one of those girls that had a song for every heartbreak but she had a couple of songs that had become the essence of her and she completely lost herself in the moment, this time not knowing she was being watched from her ever open door.

"You OK kid? ... _Oh god that feeling again in the pit of the stomach and beyond, this was not good. Shit_...

"Scott?"

He smiled at her "Don't stop I was enjoying that. It's not like you to lose yourself in music or even sing loud enough to be heard from the other Islands."

She smiled in return. "Maybe it's just too quiet around here, anyway I thought you were buried in Tracy Industries and Gordon was in the pool."

"He is, only the need for Thunderbird 4 will drag him out for the rest of the day."

"Or food." Kayo quipped "Especially with Grandma off the Island!"

He laughed and her heart started to flutter and become inexplicably linked with her stomach, she was lost not knowing where to go from here.

He brought her back to some sort of normality and she was somewhat relieved "Very funny, do you fancy watching a film while things are quiet?"

"Depends on the film, definitely no war films I really can't be doing with a running commentary through the dog fights and we all know how you can't resist to tell us what you would have done flyboy." she replied.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her, this newly jovial Kayo was definitely one of the best things to come out of the victory over the Hood, all hers of course and it was like she needed it. "An oldie then … Sci-Fi? Star Wars, always a winner with me, we used to watch it with Mum and Dad every Christmas when they ran all fifteen films in the run up, probably explains a lot about John and Alan."

Wow he's so relaxed she thought, this is a side to Scott she rarely saw "If it stays this quiet we could probably watch all of them within a few days." she laughed while he stomach tied itself into knots. "I'll be down in a minute."

"OK, kid, I'll set it up and get the popcorn."

There it was again he had called her kid, was it her imagination that only the other four Tracy boys stilled called her sister or sis he hadn't for weeks, God get a grip he's only asked you to watch movie she chided herself. Still she looked in the mirror and straightened her hair then made her way down to the lounge where she could hear the soundtrack starting she leapfrogged over the back of the sofa and landed in her usual spot.

Just then John's hologram sprang to life "Scott we have a situation. … A cargo plane had gone down in the Austrian Alps, three flight crew reported on board but only showing two life signs, better get them off the mountain before the situation gets any worse."

Alan jumps in "Let me it's my turn …. there are responders on the ground making their way but it's difficult going, it's too dangerous for Thunderbird Two so you're up Scotty, just get the crew out and leave the rest to the investigation team they will be on site in a couple of hours."

Scott winced at the sound of the nickname that only his brothers used.

John rolled his eyes at Scott "He's wanted to do that all week!"

"Thunderbirds are go."

The Hood had known from his very early encounters with his niece that she had the potential to bring him down. In fact after his recent encounters with her he had been certain that she would be instrumental in his downfall if he couldn't reach out to her and entice her to join him. That day on the Estrella had given him an insight into how difficult that challenge would be, he had never been synonymous with sentimentality but ultimately he had wanted to pass on his legacy to someone worthy. In his eyes she was, a natural leader, highly intelligent, strong, ruthless, an ace pilot and most of all his blood. Even better she had been trained and brought up into adulthood by his nemesis so it would hit her new family hard if she betrayed them. Still after the Estrella he had tried again and again certain that if he succeeded it would aim another blow right at the heart of the Tracy family. She alone had brought him down and she had seemed to enjoy the dominance she had over him on the Island that day when it was just the two of them, a good sign he thought, she has my thirst for power.

He was convinced there may be leverage if he pushed the right buttons after all she was not so different to him but still he had his doubts. He had heard her plead with the eldest Tracy to trust her and he could tell by her voice how important that seemed to be, was she lost? He wasn't sure, even now in solitary confinement at Parkmoor and after weeks of humiliation and questioning by the GDF with plenty of time to lose himself in thought he still would not give up hope for his niece. His options though were limited to two, once free he would either turn her or kill her, last chance Tanusha. He could not and would not allow the orchestrator of his downfall to walk away scot free it would ruin his reputation. With a new partner he would never allow himself to look soft, he was the power behind the throne and would not be seen to be weak.

Expecting capture had given him time to make a contingency plan well in advance, he would spend time behind bars but he had people working for him and they knew for what price they had been bought and what was expected of them. He had had some of the greatest scientific minds at the world's top universities amongst his vast payroll for some years. Using them to create an amalgamation of old technology made redundant by secret services in the western world when the last cold war came to an end and merging it with new technology created by advances in stem cell research and neural communication technology.

The macabre history behind the old technology fascinated him, during the this period it had been necessary to locate captured spies so they could be rescued or terminated, the locator was usually hidden within the body, in a tooth or implant under the skin . The decision to terminate an agent was dependant on what information the enemy had managed to obtain through interrogation, and this was where the listening device came in. Each spy knew that once captured a signal would be sent when the agent failed to make contact and this would be activated; it was insurance so the secret service would be aware of exactly what information had been given up, the small device was usually hidden in a grommet in the ear canal. As the world had lapsed into a period of peace these devices were now mostly used by private companies in boardrooms, capitalism and competition had become the ruler of this new world and corporate espionage had become a big enterprise.

He however had seen the potential to develop undetectable devices within his body to ensure he did not reject the implants in his eye & brain his own stem cells had been used to grow a membrane around them before implantation. The cells would continue to grow down the optical nerve creating a neuro pathway to a transmitter located in his middle cranial fossa. Once within range of a receiver he could communicate through speaking if safe to do so or by blinking transmit coded messages. Messages could be sent back to him through pulses emitted by the receiver. He had given himself the option to interact with his new partner and he knew escape was possible soon he would know exactly when to expect him and by what method he would be freed.

After his place of incarceration was confirmed by his collaborator through the locator in his tooth he would find a way of getting a way of getting the receiver within the required distance using old service tunnels and once again he would be in charge of his own destiny. The distance the small mole like mecca was to travel underground had to be some miles from his cell to decrease the chances of detection and process would be slow. He was not expecting a signal within the first few months, he could be patient but he was eagerly waiting for the time when he would feel a pulse from the implant in his eye and the countdown would begin.

In two maybe three months he would be free, in the meantime the enforcer he had on the outside would ensure that the Tracy family paid for their insolence. His new partner was an easy buy, filled with resentment and the need for revenge against the great technologically minded of the age. Maybe more importantly he was a complete psychopath a perfect marriage for his own sociopathic tendencies. He had found him in the underworld, an exceptionally gifted man, possibly rivalling the Tracy's own genius. He smirked, The Mechanic's price had been for Brains to be given over to him once the Tracy family had been crushed and this had intrigued and pleased him more. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, both with plans that would see an end to International Rescue …. Perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

Scott made it over to the crash site in a little over two hours, god he loved his ship sleek fast and beautiful he would never tire of flying his bird. He enjoyed any flight in her but especially those on the way out. He loved the feeling of anticipation and the world rushing past him, him alone, no passengers. The solitude relaxed him, his beloved bird and him in perfect synchrony almost as one being. As the plane came into view he circled a couple of times it was on a vast sheet of ice the tail had crumpled in to a rock face and its belly looked like had been ripped apart by a giant tin opener. Over the years he had seen many crash sites, in the war he had picked through debris searching for friends and on a few occasions enemies and this looked like nothing he had ever encountered. He was more than a little confused considering it had crashed in mountainous terrain the plane looked in quite good shape, not the mangle of twisted wreckage he was expecting. He circled once more and settled on the safest landing zone.

"John any data coming though on how the plane came down, I can see a hole in its sides but if it had blown out at 30,000 feet there wouldn't be much of it left."

"Nothing Scott, the data stream stopped about thirty minutes before the crash, a witness said she came down under control. She called it in but didn't go to the site."

Scott was struggling with this information "A witness! Something is definitely wrong, this does not stack up. I'll get the survivors out and take them to the nearest Hospital at Innsbruck but I think we need Kayo to take a look at this before the site is tainted by the investigators."

… "Or Penelope if she's free." he added quickly hoping that Alan and John hadn't noticed his eagerness for Kayo to attend … _SHIT_!

"F-A-B." John's hologram disappeared.

On entering the cockpit he saw that the oxygen masks were being worn by the crew indicating de-pressurisation, yet another mystery, they should be coming round on oxygen he could see no evidence of head trauma.

He knew he would struggle to get the unconscious pilot and co-pilot out of the plane the way he had entered as the remaining jumble of cargo blocked the route out of the hole in the side. Using every ounce of his considerable strength he E-vacced them out of the emergency exit window on the left side of the cockpit and placed them against side of the plane. He grabbed the transfer aid and lifted them into Thunderbird One once he confirmed their medical condition was stable he transferred them to the hospital and returned to the site.

He couldn't help but wonder had happened to the flight engineer, there was no body, he had checked inside the plane and around the wreckage and he had scanned no life signs anywhere on the mountain, it left him with an uneasy feeling there were a lot more questions than answers. He waited by the plane for Penelope or Kayo so he could brief them on his findings and show first-hand his concerns about the scene in front of him. His thoughts drifted god he hoped it was Kayo she had an eye for this sort of thing ... some time away from the island just the two of them... _Shit Scott… STOP THIS NOW!_

As if he had managed to summon her he heard Kayo over the comms to John.

"John I'm about an hour out from the crash site so if you and EOS could do some digging before I get there it would give me some background, have you checked for a systems hack the data stream shouldn't just fail, also background checks on the crew please and the cargo manifest would be helpful."

"I'm already running the checks and as you know your wish is my command." He responded irritably.

"And mine." added Alan giggling at his brothers annoyance.

Scott sniggered at their exchange, John really didn't like to be told what to do and after a week with Alan he knew his patience would be limited. Kayo knew full well that the checks would already be well under way and EOS would have been working non-stop under John's instruction, just a little sisterly fun he thought.

Penelope's hologram interrupted his thoughts "Scott I am very sorry I couldn't make it over I would love join you for some Apres Ski in a quaint Austrian Village."

Scott raised an eyebrow he could never tell whether she was making an attempt at a dry sense of humour or whether she was deadly serious.

She continued in her usually stoic tone "I couldn't break away from my rather boring dinner with the Head of MI6. I think you are right to be suspicious, once you have completed your mission come over for supper. I have another couple of hours of tedium and I'll meet you both back at the house."

"Both?"

"Yes, I want to know what Kayo thinks about this and she's my friend too." she responded indignantly, she continued more kindly "Colonel Casey agrees that it warrants investigation and Kayo has a very keen eye for detail. Unlike the recent piracy of the SS Marina we actually stand a chance of gaining some insight before those half-wit investigators get involved tomorrow."

"Strong words Lady Penelope."

"Not as strong as Parker's when the shipping company couldn't or wouldn't identify what cargo was taken and whom it was intended for. Look Scott I've really got to do this later I'm only supposed to be powdering my nose."

"Yes, you mustn't leave the new boss waiting."

"I will have Parker instruct the housekeeper to make up the rooms in the Guest Wing if you want to freshen up. I'll see you both about eleven, in fact stay over it's late and it's been an absolute age since I have caught up on the Tracy gossip"

"F-A-B." He responded however he was secretly thinking that she really wanted the low down on a certain blond haired, brown eyed member of his family.

Kayo reached the crash site thirty minutes later; she jumped out of the cockpit and made her way over to the wreckage. Walking around the gaping hole in its side she could see exactly what he had meant. The cargo hold had been cut open wide enough to get a forklift through with the missing portion dis-guarded a short distance away in the snow.

"Whatever was taken must have been a large package of some sort." She was taking more to herself than Scott. He brought her attention to the tracks in the snow which were only visible close to the crash site

He looked at her "What are you thinking? Something about this doesn't feel right."

She walked round the fuselage she could see exactly what he was getting at she was sure the only way anything big could have been lifted off this mountain was by air but another aircraft not been confirmed by the radar readings she received from John. She turned her attention to the missing crew member "Found out anything about the flight engineer?"

"No sign." He replied "It's like they were never here and John can't find a trace."

"Do you think she is the one that called it in?

Scott contacted Five to get confirmation "John check the air traffic control recordings against the call."

Alan confirmed their thoughts "Good call Kayo the voice recording of the call from the witness and the flight engineer match, her name is Catherine McCarthy and she has been flying with FlyCargo for the past five years."

"Her record is exemplary." John added as if defending the missing crew member when she wasn't there to do it herself. He continued "EOS has monitored the flight path and the craft must have been brought down under remote control to practically land her on the glacier. The crew were drugged, I have just heard back from the hospital with the amount of toxins in their system they are lucky they are alive. I can only assume that your flight engineer wasn't in the cockpit at the time."

Kayo kicked around the site a little more and turned her attention to the large piece of metal cut out from the plane which was left about 6ft from the fuselage on its side half buried in ice and snow. She inspected it more closely "Look Scott. The emergency exit has been activated."

"John."

"Yes Kayo."

"Do you think we are searching in the right place? It's just that has anyone considered that she bailed out before the plane came down?"

"I'll check it out." He responded

He was back on the comms within minutes "I can't confirm but I have spoken to Colonel Casey the GDF will continue to look for her if she's out there they will bring her in, it may be for her own safety, we might not be not the only ones looking for her."

Scott advised John of the arrangement he had made with Penelope "Once we are done here we are going to meet up with Lady Penelope, her spidey senses are tingling on this one and she will like this detail." Scott smiled to himself at the picture he created.

"F-A-B, Virgil is back at the Island, and Alan will be back shortly. If you're needed you can launch from Penelope's without too much attention. See you tomorrow." He replied with a smile.

"Why, you coming down?"

"A day or two on the Island with my brothers couldn't hurt. Grandma is kind of insisting I spend a little time with the family she's counting apparently and I have been away for over a month."

"You sure you can leave Five for a couple of days, it's not Christmas you know." Scott was enjoying the fact that John had been bullied into their company, they all missed him and only Grandma had the influence to force him into the trip that they all knew he didn't really see the necessity for.

"I'm only eight minutes away from her if I'm needed and anyway EOS likes it when I pretend she's in charge."

He noted Scott's concern "Don't worry she's powered down now I insisted after the upgrade!"

Scott laughed "See you tomorrow space boy."

Once they had finished Scott contacted the GDF to ask them to monitor the findings of European Air Crash Investigation team and they made the short hop in Thunderbird One and Shadow over to England. They let themselves in Kayo headed for the shower and Scott headed for the kitchen, he stared longingly at the 25 year old Single Malt as he passed the drinks cabinet in the large hallway. Shame a drink would be welcome right now but he couldn't rule out having to go back for the flight engineer so he decided food would be the next best thing.

He raided Penelope's substantial larder and gabbed some soda's, Kayo returned with a bright pink towel on her had like some sort of turban and was dressed in shorts and a skinny vest. God she can even rock this look he thought. "Pink, Kayo, interesting choice do you think you are finding your inner Princess?" he laughed.

Kayo threw the towel at him letting her long wet locks cascade down her shoulders and back. "Not much option in this house when it comes to colour, it's all very feminine and not a good look for me, I blame growing up with five boys."

Scott and Kayo finished their supper and waited for Penelope to come home and when she did they had an interesting conversation about the missing freight on both the ship & plane two incidents, two weeks apart and both involving unidentified cargo.

"Did the containers get airlifted off the ship?" asked Kayo

"That's what has been assumed, it's all very similar to this case the crew had been knocked out and have no memory of the incident. Just like the plane there is one crew member unaccounted for. It's thought he went over the side trying to escape he was only twenty and the youngest on his ship."

"Looks like the dream team are back in action Penny," said Kayo loving the thought of working with her again. "I'll stay here and investigate Tilsbury Docks and City airport. We've got to start somewhere so may as well start where both the plane and ship started their journey, as your hero would say Penny the game is afoot .."

Penelope laughed Kayo was becoming a firm friend and on the few occasions had they worked closely together the Holmes / Watson argument would surface, Penelope was adamant that she was the Holmes in their relationship and unsurprisingly Kayo would disagree.

Kayo added for good measure, smirking at her friend "Scott I think we should send Gordon to check out where the ship was found and get him to check for anything on the seabed, it's just possible the cargo was taken underwater." Ooo she's good thought Penelope.

"F-A-B … Although I am not sure I like the idea of leaving you two to your own devices." He looked at them both. "Make sure you are back at the Island tomorrow or the day after Kayo we need you."

This last statement was not lost on Penelope; we need you indeed, if she didn't know better she would say that Scott Tracy had it bad. Scott noticed her amusement and deflected before she could force the issue

"Join us Penny, Grandma would love to see you, I'll let her know to expect you" He then added "Gordon will be there to report back on his findings." He couldn't resist a little wink at this point but wished he hadn't as she glared back at him with her ice blue eyes.

"I think Scott Tracy I will retire and save myself from having to drop kick your posterior in my own kitchen... oh and enjoy the Guest Wing, a little feature I think you both may like." she left the room smiling now winking at him.

Kayo and Scott made their way up the central staircase and headed towards the Guest Wing, both a little intrigued by Penelope's parting shot. I mean what the hell was that all about, probably some weird artefact or maybe some new tech Kayo thought.

"Well this is me, good night Scott."

"Good work today Kayo." he was trying to think of anything just to keep her there.

"You did the rescue. I was just a tourist on this one."

"Yeh … but I think we may have stumbled upon something, I can't explain it, it's just a feeling."

"Me too ... err … night Scott," her insides were all over the place again, she couldn't carry on the conversation out here drag it on like some expectant teenager at the school dance, no she would cut it off, hit the hay and make plan of action for tomorrow.

"Night Kayo,"

He was disappointed he had thought to invite her in to his room under the pretence of discussing it further and instead find his moment and tell her how he had recently been feeling towards her. He supposed Kayo was now in over-drive, work mode and she was used to doing her thinking on her own her brain never stopped working and he should really be glad that this fine woman was his Head of Security.

The door clicked behind him, in that instant he changed his mind and turned to leave his hand on the door very nearly with the courage to go to her door. He didn't want to leave it here, was very sure he couldn't leave it alone he wanted so much to talk to her to let her know, then his courage left him. He took his chance to shower he let the warm water cleanse his body and inappropriate thoughts away, shame about that scotch it would be so darn good right now he thought.

Kayo was inside her room reeling she slid down the back of the door shaking, she had very nearly left the room to talk to him, something felt different so very nearly where she wanted to be, but could she really walk to his door knock and have so very little to say. She was still shaking when she lay back on her bed and then she saw an internal door she hadn't considered earlier when she headed for the shower. Just one thing barred her direct access from his room somehow this felt easier that knocking from the corridor, she couldn't could she? Be so bold as to find out if her instincts about tonight were right.

Scott walked back into in to the bedroom with his towel wrapped round him like a sarong to find Kayo's head popping round a curtain he hadn't really noticed in his haste to hit the shower.

"You decent? I think I have found the feature!" she drew back the curtain a little to reveal the internal door giggling nervously. Slightly wrong footed by the sight of a semi naked Scott she searched for something to take the focus off her obvious embarrassment "Do you think this where a certain fish sleeps when he visits would explain the need for a rather covert door?"

Scott laughed his insides were now doing very weird things, he was not used to this and it was him that usually had this effect on others. He couldn't think of anything quick enough to keep her there "Err ... Fancy that film now?" _That was so lame_ he chastened himself, _Shit_ ... This may well be his chance to speak to her away from the Island with none of his brothers there to watch him get burned. He now found himself now desperate to know for sure, without anything else in his armour he smiled at her, holding her gaze…..

"Scott." she arched an eyebrow looking at him differently, "Are you really suggesting we watch a film at nearly 1am I'll be on my way before dawn." She had a feeling that events were taking a fascinating and exciting turn _just kiss me_ , she thought. Wow … where did that come from?

He walked towards her smiling risking everything and then she was suddenly responding to his kiss, her insides were cartwheeling around and she could barely breathe. They were devouring each other, months of pent up feelings exploding in that first seemingly never ending kiss. Eventually Scott came up for air "God I have wanted to do that for a while."

He looked at her searching for some sort of confirmation and then he had it "Me too, I have been wanting this for a long time although I would never have risked saying anything." Then she remembered her drunken conversation with Penny a few weeks after her Uncle had been captured, when she so desperately wanted to see him to find out what he had meant and then lost her courage persuading Penelope to try question him. Later after Penelope drew a blank and after consuming the best part of a bottle of Vodka she had told her about her shift in feelings towards Scott, shit, she thought this could almost have been orchestrated.

Scott brought her from her thoughts "Stay… I can behave myself." As if to prove the point he grabbed some clothes went to the bathroom to get changed and returned to bedroom where Kayo was sat nervously on the very edge of the bed. He pulled her down into his arms and lay there for a while with her in comfortable silence enjoying their closeness. "Oh God." she thought what would the others say.

She fell asleep for a couple of hours but even in her happy state she didn't succumb for long. She checked that Scott was asleep slipped a note in his hand and went next door to change into her leathers. She had a job to do and the early bird catches the worm she thought. She was going to really enjoy the bike ride into London and would need to be at the docks just after dawn before the next shift started.

At the same time as Kayo left the Oxfordshire home of Penelope, Virgil was dropping pod 4 off into the sea at John's pre designated co-ordinates 50 kilometres off the west coast of Somalia. "Any trouble little brother and you get the hell out of there, it's not like this is a rescue or anything."

"Don't worry, it's just a look see and if you think I won't be back at the island in time for a debrief with Penny then you have another think coming." Virgil laughed his little brother was certainly growing up in more ways than one. Virgil stayed on the comms waiting for Gordon to advise if there was any need to raise anything off the sea bed.

"Looks like Kayo was right there are containers down here, two opened both empty and one still intact, shall I take a look or shall we just lift them and get back to the comfort of home," Gordon questioned hopefully.

Virgil reproached him "I know you have someone you would quite like to see but I'll be damned if anything is getting lifted onto my baby unless I know what it is. Have you taken any readings from them we don't know what they contained I don't want any nasty surprises?"

"SHIT"

"Gordon! Are you all right?" John and Virgil said in unison.

"I am... but I have found the missing crew member, he's tied up and as has been shot in the head."

"John advise the GDF, they are going to want to investigate this and take ownership of the containers." Virgil commanded. He lifted Pod 4 once locked and loaded made the turn to return to the Island

Within minutes John contacted them with a request from Colonel Casey "There's been a development in Europe, Colonel Casey has located the flight engineer, can you make a detour to the Alps? She was found injured at the base of the mountain on the Austrian border with Switzerland, local medical crew were attacked trying to bring her in. The GDF got there in time but the assailants escaped, the Colonel wants her off radar for a while so she is placing her in our protective custody at least until Lady Penelope has had a chance to question her."

"F-A-B."

Gordon slumped in the co-pilots chair, his usually cheery demeanour quelled by the sight of the twenty year old shipmate and the fact that he would now arrive at the Island about three hours after Penelope if he was lucky. Virgil prepared the medical bay on board Thunderbird Two while an unusually quite Gordon took the controls until Virgil was happy he had everything he needed. Once more at the helm Virgil contacted the hospital to obtain her vitals and condition apparently she was now unconsciousness courtesy of a little cocktail supplied by the GDF. The medic in him kicked in and he knew he would be best placed to monitor her during the flight. They advised she had severe concussion, a dislocated shoulder and some badly bruised ribs. Not really in too bad shape she had survived relatively unscathed considering the circumstances he thought.

John briefed them again "The Colonel will want to know when she wakes she is going to join us at the Island and would appreciate being present at any questioning, but in the meantime keep her safe she is the only link we have."

"F-A-B." He responded to Thunderbird Five "Take her home Gordon and I'll keep an eye on our patient."

"You are going to let me fly her back?" He looked at Virgil not sure if it was his brother who had received the bump to the head.

Virgil simply said " Take your mind off you know … it can't have been easy finding the body and this will give you something else to think about, although one dent in my beautiful green baby and I will kick your arse." he added smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

Kayo enjoyed the ride to London, it had been absolutely ages since she had taken the shiny black Ducati she left at Penelope's out for a spin and she was already invigorated after last night. Finding out that Scott felt the same had been a well …. Wow ... she could barely take it in. It had taken some energy not to just go with the flow and sleep with him, she trusted him but they both had to be sure. Now she was putting miles between them doubts were creeping in ... Did she want to upset the equilibrium at home with a stupid fling that may fizzle out in days? When it came to their fights in the past they could clear a room so she needed some time to think. She now started to regret writing the note she left, where she had left her heart on the line and had admitted to him that she loved him, _Oh shit_ she thought had she really put that. Well if he wasn't sure he would back the hell off now but better that than tiptoeing around affecting everyone back home especially if he was regretting last night. Space was what they needed, she felt sure of it.

The journey to London took 50 minutes, a little longer than necessary as she did not want to attract any attention from the local law enforcement. She opened up the sleek machine to its max only when she thought she would get away with it, thoroughly enjoying the freedom the bike gave her. If there was one thing bad to say about Tracy Island it was that there was very little space to unleash her inner bike chick this was truly a great way to start the day and she loved every minute of it, even on two and a half hours sleep.

At City Airport she pulled into the private Tracy garage and swapped the bike for one of the many cars, she chose the Jeep not wanting to attract too much attention by taking her bike or one of the super cars down to the docks. Arriving at her objective at 6:30am, she gained entry by pulling out the fake GDF docs that the Colonel had given her for use in certain types of off the radar operations and she wafted past the dumbstruck security guard with a wink.

This was what she was good at and there had not been the opportunity for this sort of work for some weeks, already she was thoroughly relishing this opportunity. Smiling as she thought of Scott who would have a fit if he knew she had done a little work on the side with Casey but what he didn't know about her activities before Mateo wouldn't hurt him now would it.

She made her way to the quite office area and immediately started digging around in paperwork relating to the ship and checking the staff list to find the names of the dock workers who had loaded the Marina. When Penelope had spoken to the Port Authority and office staff two weeks earlier there had been no appetite from the British authorities to treat it as anything other than one of the many incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Now there had been an almost identical incident Kayo wanted to investigate both and take the opportunity to speak to those at the grass roots of the operation in the port.

Only four staff members had loaded goods onto her, interviewing them two at a time so she could read their body language and give them chance to trip each other up if they thought about hiding anything. There was nothing out of the ordinary with the first two brought in to her they were young and quite obviously scared they proved very keen to assist anyone working for the GDF. They answered every question without pause or taking any glimpses at each other for reassurance. They confirmed the freight had been loaded five weeks earlier a day before the ship was due to sail, all items were listed apart from two containers marked Diplomatic Status Granted. These were loaded by them last under the supervision of the senior team members and were accompanied by an armed guard who had watched them onto the vessel. Kayo thanked them for their help and advised them that they were now bound by the Official Secrets Act; this little white lie amused her greatly as they left the room more frightened than when they had entered it.

The second group were nervous too but quite obviously trying to catch each other's eye under her brisk questioning and their story did not quite match up neither mentioning the armed guard at first. With a little of Kayo's own brand of encouragement they admitted that they had been paid extra to turn a blind eye to the usual paperwork required from an embassy to ensure that diplomatic immunity could be granted. They were unable to confirm which embassy had sanctioned the transportation of the items or even who the guard was working for. So there was no trail from the goods, no clue as to who was sending them or who was responsible for collecting them in Perth in Western Australia the only thing she found of great interest was the so far unidentified baby-sitter with a gun.

She contacted the Colonel to update her on her findings and was surprised by the Colonel's reaction to the news.

"Diplomatic Status Kayo, does this not fascinate you?"

"I do not see the relevance you do Colonel. There is something you are not telling me."

"Kayo if I tell you what I suspect then you cannot divulge it even to Penelope."

This statement shocked her, her skin prickled with anger, how dare she keep Penelope out of the picture after all she had done over the years to assist the GDF even putting her own life on the line, the Colonel sensed her anger and tried to diffuse it immediately.

"It's not Penelope, Kayo but there is a new head of M16 and he has been very obtrusive from his first days in office."

"Explain." She was not going to let the Colonel get away with this statement without backing it up if it had any relevance to her friend.

"Six months ago assemblers and replicators were stolen from the Technical Department at Cambridge, the latest developments in Nanotechnology. We were not informed until two weeks ago."

"Surely they are just protecting their interests; this would be an embarrassment in the press."

"Kayo, we are the GDF they have a duty to declare this information, this technology was originally developed years ago as a possible way to end world shortages but after the hearing in the Global Ethics Committee they had a duty to report this. It is our greatest fear it could be used to create weapons on a mass scale."

"And you think Penelope is aware of this!" Kayo was furious her mind was in overdrive not knowing what the Colonel was driving at and whether she was directly implicating Penelope.

"No, Kayo… Penelope has been re-assigned to MI16 recently; they want to keep her close. I have been aware that there is a leak in the European Division of the GDF for some time, it has been confirmed tonight. I think there is a chance that there is a breach in the highest echelons of the British Secret Service too."

"What do you mean?"

"The flight engineer was found and then attacked along with the medical crew. Only we knew about her whereabouts, I have asked International Rescue to collect her until I can confirm if Darwin has been compromised, it is my intention to take her there if safe to do so."

"You think the Nanotech was on the plane?"

"It's not the only breach Kayo. The latest development in stealth technology was stolen from The National Engineering Laboratory in Scotland two months ago. I would now put money on how both were taken out of the country. These are just two examples of several security breaches world-wide over the past six months."

"And Penny is unaware of this?"

"Yes, unusual don't you think? I will talk to her on route to the Darwin in the High Altitude Shuttle, she already has permission for leave, seems like someone is happy she will be out of the picture. Alan will collect us and take us to the Island from there."

"And in the meantime I keep this from Penelope?"

"You keep it from everyone, we do not discuss this again Kayo my private comms are secure but there is to be no discussion with anyone about this conversation until we get to the Island do you understand … you play dumb with Penelope, I will talk to her and I will speak to you both later."

"And Kayo."

"Yes Colonel."

"The offer still stands; there is a job here for you if you want it… if you every change your mind."

"Thank you Colonel but you are well aware where my loyalties lie."

She contacted Penny to update her on her apparent lack of findings and hoped she would understand later when the Colonel briefed her. She felt uncomfortable when she now knew so much, especially now her thoughts had started to dwell once more on her uncle and his threats.

"Understood Kayo. Are you still going to the airport?"

"That's the plan , I'm not sure what there is to be gained but may as well be sure that we leave no stone unturned before the GDF take complete control and keep us off the investigation." Kayo responded feeling like a double agent and very close to vomiting.

"Oh you know them so well; however we are very much involved in this one. Parker, Colonel Casey and I will be heading to the Island shortly. I quite fancy some sun and this you will find intriguing, Virgil is on his way to pick up another guest we have the missing flight engineer, she has assigned me to babysit in the short term."

"Why not take her into witness protection here?" Kayo responded feeling that this was the response her friend would be expecting of her.

"She has been attacked someone wants her out of the picture… Kayo we need to keep her in protective custody for a while so I will be talking to her once Virgil says she is recovered enough. Scott will pick you up at City Airport on Thunderbird One, don't worry John will remote fly Shadow back to the Island."

Kayo looked at her hologram quizzically. "Why wouldn't I just remote fly her here and take her myself? "This won't make much sense to John." but it was starting to dawn on her what her friend was advising and she felt sick to her stomach realising her friend was looking out for her when she couldn't even tell her the truth about her trip to the docks.

Penelope's voice softened to a whisper "Believe me you two need to talk before everyone meets up, let's just say it would have been a better show if you had woken him to tell him you were going. You left him a little confused this morning, it's important to him, Scott does not usually so readily confide in me about personal matters. Kayo you will really need to get better at this you know, relationships are hard enough let alone a new one in the business we are in, you have to let him in"

Kayo wondered whether she was talking from experience but chose not to make Penny uncomfortable and instead muttered "So I'm in a relationship now am I?" and then softened into a smile as she thought about Scott confiding in her friend.

Her theory had been right about the dead end at the airport, talking to her contacts had brought no new leads, the crew had been scheduled on the flight two weeks before, they all had a clean personnel file. There were no last minute changes to the flight plan with scheduled stops to drop or re-fuel in Rome, Dubai, Delhi and Perth. The only thing that puzzled her was all the cargo had been recovered from the crash site by the investigators and everything matched the manifest. She knew that something had definitely been taken off otherwise why go to all that trouble but nobody could account for how additional items would pass through some of the highest security in the world and make it onto the plane. Perth perked her interest, who in Australia would be missing the so far unidentified cargo? Both the ship and plane had brought her back to the Western Australian port.

An hour later she was ready to leave it was still only lunch time but she realised that she had skipped breakfast and was starving. Rather than drag out the return to the Island where she had a chance at coming clean to her friend she grabbed a candy bar out of the vending machine and headed out on the tarmac with some trepidation to Thunderbird One and god only knows what sort of conversation with Scott. She felt like a teenager again making the wrong call and making herself out to be naive and uncertain. She knew her social skills had always been sadly lacking, a bi-product of an extremely hard first few years of life but she owed it to him to get the hell over it.

Scott looked at her trying to second guess her thoughts he smiled and kissed her cheek their talk could wait so he took a seat behind the pilots. "Go on then gorgeous she's all your."

"Are you kidding me?" Kayo was thrilled to be distracted from the uneasiness resulting from her recent conversation "You are letting me pilot your girl for the whole flight."

"Well maybe not the whole trip I was hoping we could hit the autopilot at some point and we could talk." He gave her warm smile "Go on then do your worst."

Kayo enjoyed the thrill of the acceleration of the beautiful, original and fastest earthbound Thunderbird craft; she could see why Scott loved her so much. Yes, Shadow was much more manoeuvrable but this ship flew like god damn nothing she had ever flown before. The speed was immense and this distraction was exactly what she needed she lost herself in the experience and almost forgot that Scott was there.

After about an hour of enjoying watching her fly his ship Scott walked up behind her flicked the autopilot on and started the conversation he had been dreading in case she had changed her mind.

"Do you think we can work out why you bailed on me? I know full well that you were going to the docks but you know maybe a kiss or even a nudge in the morning would have been nice."

Kayo spilled her feelings a little too quickly "I'm sorry Scott, I'm so inexperienced at these things, I scared myself with my openness last night. You know I don't really know what the hell I am doing … I have never felt like this before and I'm sorry I didn't handle it in the way I should have."

"Slow down Kayo... Tell me what you mean?"

She couldn't slow down she had to let it out "This is so big though Scott, I don't know how this will affect everyone and I can't have any more secrets from them, so no sneaking around from now on… I made a promise to them all."

There it was, he understood her confliction over what they were doing and their family's reaction which was so important to her, after all she had no-one else in the world. Scott pulled her into the biggest hug she had ever had off him, he blamed himself that he hadn't really discussed with her about how to approach letting the family know about the change in their relationship. It hadn't occurred to him in his bliss last night that she may assume they would keep it quiet for a while. She had been quite clear about the no more secrets after her uncle had been arrested, he should have known that Kayo would have a thousand scenarios going round in her head which probably helped with her decision to run without waking him.

He tried to re-assure her "We'll talk to them when we get back and I'm very sure that after maybe a minute or two in shock they would all just like us to be very happy, they love us both very much."

"God, you make it sound so easy. I hope you are right I don't want to come between you and your family." she complained.

"Just talk to me. I can understand completely why it's important to you that this is not another secret, we should have sorted out before you left, I'm sorry." He looked at her in a way she had never noticed him look at her before, she was melting under the gaze of his blue eyes "I wouldn't have allowed this to start if I wasn't serious, you are special to us all and I wouldn't jeopardise it lightly but Kayo … I love you too."

"Oh god the note." more childish behaviour she thought "You see I am just not very good at this." she blushed bright red.

Scott spun her into his lap as he took the controls and kissed her neck. "Now this is the way to fly." he grinned.

John's hologram appeared, they froze as they watched him nearly spit coffee all over EOS "..err.. ..Is that Kayo sat on your lap?"

Scott looked at Kayo and laughed nervously and whispered in her ear "Well one brother down, three to go."

John recovered himself slightly "err I was just checking your ETA. Virgil and Gordon have picked up the flight engineer and they are heading back to the Island. Colonel Casey is on the way with Penelope and Parker. Alan has collected them from Darwin and will be back at the Island within the hour." He blushed a similar colour to Kayo "So I haven't got the wrong end of the stick … Are you two together?"

Kayo panicked "Look John we wanted to tell you all together you know. It wasn't meant to be a secret, it's only just happened; we haven't been keeping from you." Kayo was close to tears full of turmoil over recent secrets from Penelope and feeling that this was somehow another betrayal to someone she loved.

Scott jumped in to give her time to recover "John our ETA is 70 minutes. Virgil?"

"About 2hrs maybe 2 and a half, Gordon is at the controls so don't rule anything out" he smiled.

"And John please don't say anything, I need to tell everyone myself."

John just looked at them both and smiled "Don't worry I won't spill."

In the back of Thunderbird Two Virgil kept vigil over his patient, he could not help wondering what had this slip of a woman got herself into, she was no-more than 5ft 6, blond shoulder length hair and although he knew looks were deceiving could not believe that she was involved in any way with the robbery of the unidentified cargo on the plane. He could not help but feel that this was overkill just to protect a witness, he had a feeling the Colonel was keeping something from him. Whatever it was they were acting irresponsibly, he wondered what on earth had they slipped her to make sure she couldn't talk until their Colonel could question her. Her vitals were stable but she still remained unconscious and this worried him. Once home he was damn well going to piss everyone off because he was going to insist that she was not questioned for 48hours on medical grounds. He would not feed her to the wolves in fact he was hoping that he would get to her story first because in his gut he knew she had one that would be better told to a friendly face rather than an interrogator.

Gordon on the other hand was enjoying the flight not just because he was in control of the precious right arm of his brother but because John had just confirmed that Penny was on the way to the Island. He was smiling humming and pushing the green bird to its limits he could not wait to be home. He just hoped that Penny would be as happy to see him as he was to see her. For months they had skirted round that day in the tunnels, yes she asked for him more often than before to attend he charity functions but still time after time he left her unsure of what the hell they were doing. His mind wondered …... but they had kissed, the last time they met and he knew that if he had wanted to he could have taken it further, but he didn't. She was vulnerable the usually strong Penny had lost one of her more valuable contacts and she had thought it was all her fault. So instead he stayed with her, he held her, holding himself back because when it did happen with her it was going to be special. He hadn't wanted to risk the love of his life by taking advantage, something this special should be waited for and when the time was right both of them would know … although it may be worth a try of course if she was at the Island, sun, sea …...

"Gordon, Gordon .." Virgil muttered an obscenity under his breath " Damn it …. GORDON!"

"Woo ow, what …err ... yes Virgil oh angry one, what can I do for you."

"Are you asleep?"

"Just enjoying the view … oh and checking on the dents, we just flew through a flock of geese." Gordon sniggered he would pay but there was not much else to do but wind his big brother up.

"Get serious." Virgil thundered knowing his brother was just joking about "What's the ETA, Catherine's vitals are dropping and I wouldn't mind getting her into the medical wing ASAP so I can start to bring her off these sedatives, the dose they have given her is much too strong."

Gordon heard the tone in his brother voice "1 hr 30 minutes Virg, She'll be fine you've been looking after us for years and we are OK … ish." He regretted sometimes that humour was his only defence, of all of his brothers apart from maybe John, Virgil was the least likely to appreciate it. He went to serious mode "Let me know if we have to detour to a medical facility and I'll try to get us back as soon as I can, but we're a maximum speed now so don't think I can push the ETA.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

When Thunderbird One returned home Scott and Kayo were greeted by Penelope and Grandma in the hanger. "Too late for a debrief today." Grandma instructed, we are going to have a little appetizer and wait for the other boys to come home for dinner they are not that far behind you. She continued relishing the organisational role she found herself with "Kayo, I have said Parker can use your room hope you don't mind, Penelope is happy to share with you in Gordon's, I'll put The Colonel in the guest room and Scott would you mind accommodating Gordon for a night or two?"

"Seems like a plan." Scott answered.

They left the hanger Scott just hung back a little to brush hands with Kayo, he whispered "When the time is right ….. No more secrets." Kayo smiled "When the time is right Scott but damage control." He smiled at her, their family was so important to the both of them.

The welcome party was in the living space; Alan was excited he always was when they were all to be together. "John's on his way down Scott can you believe it he is coming down for at least three days." John was Alan's hero, the other brothers played their part and Scott was like a father figure to him but John, there was something about Alan's adoration that was beautiful."

"I know squirt, you must have made some impression on the maintenance routine." he ruffled his youngest brothers hair.

"He'll be here in 8 minutes and Virgil and Gordon are on their way back, do you think we could have a party?"

"Oh Alan! What an absolutely wonderful idea." Penelope chipped in. She turned to address the Colonel "It can't hurt can it? We are staying a couple of days anyway and if I know our resident medic he won't let us commence our questioning for at least 24 hours, the patient always comes first."

"I think I can live with that." replied the Colonel. "I will check in with my superiors in Darwin, could I borrow the office."

"Anything you need Colonel." Grandma responded.

Grandma busied herself with Max in the kitchen enjoying the additional company, the Island could be a lonely place especially for her when the boys were away, each of them were isolated in their own way but with Jeff gone she felt it more keenly than ever. A party was a great idea and Alan's great gift was in knowing exactly what everyone needed and for the first time in a very long time she found herself immersed in a tasks that would seem benign to most but she was enjoying them immensely. The Colonel's company was especially welcome, a direct link to Jeff and shared memories of him in his younger days and she appreciated the opportunity to remember them again.

Penelope noticed the figure of Kayo hanging on the edge of the group practically hiding in the shadows she had always seemed a lost soul to her but in recent events and meetings she had come to understand her more. Kayo was frightened of letting anyone in, expecting hurt from any attempt to open up and so she closed herself behind a brick wall, hiding behind the job in attempt to preserve herself. Walking across to where she was stood intently watching Grandma busy herself in the kitchen she started to understand how this evening could potentially be one of the most difficult of her life and glimpsed the turmoil inside; she linked arms with her and guided her out to the pool area where she hoped a little of her wisdom would set her mind at ease.

"Thanks for getting me out of there." Kayo whispered to her friend.

As if reading her mind Penny re-assured her "Kayo you are not betraying anyone, you never have. Your uncle isn't your fault, you and Scott isn't your fault ... it's wonderful … but you do like to hang around in the shadows looking guilty."

"John knows … found out by accident... I don't know what I was expecting." Kayo responded highly embarrassed at the situation she found herself in.

"Look darling it's not some great announcement, it's your life, it's Scott's choice, tell them in your own time together or individually. Whenever you are ready, but sooner rather than later for your own sake as long as you don't lie it doesn't matter. Don't worry."

Kayo deflected, back to work and her comfort zone "Have you spoken with the Colonel?"

Kayo could not wait for the release, the lies she had told Penelope in London were now at the forefront of her mind, secrets were something that she had no stomach for and after so recently promising not to keep any she had found herself within weeks back in the same position with someone she had started to care a lot about. In fact Penelope was the closest thing she had ever had to a female friend and she had been surprised to find that she actually quite liked it.

"Don't worry … I understand. It's the nature of covert ops, it's what we do. I agree with the Colonel, I am not sure who can be trusted. I was not made aware of the stolen items until they were finally reported to the GDF and that speaks volumes."

Penelope looked at her, blue eyes softening as she realised the confliction that Kayo had recently been faced with.

"You have hit from all angles, it's been a rough twenty – four hours, don't worry about me I have a debrief with the Colonel and a few days to consider my options."

Kayo ventured changing the subject "What about you and Gordon?"

"A dream ….. maybe one we both enjoy but a dream none the less?" Penny responded.

"Why."

"Well apart from the odd excursion over to your lovely Island we live poles apart."

"He loves you."

"I know but it wouldn't be fair… I can't ask him to leave here and I can't leave the British Intelligence Service, especially now, in a way Kayo you are one lucky woman." Penelope looked away from her to gather in her emotions she hadn't expected to be sideswiped like this.

Virgil & Gordon arrived home to be greeted by Brains and Colonel Casey "M... medical Bay all set up as instructed Virgil, do you want me to take the patient while you join the p...party?"

"Thanks Brains but I've got it from here; you go up and go on Gordon you will want to freshen up for a certain Lady." He turned to the Colonel "48 hours at the very least before I let you near, no argument." He turned away from her and busied himself with his patient.

Gordon did want to freshen up and he couldn't wait to see Penny, he hoofed it from the hanger to his room in nanoseconds. He stopped abruptly in his tracks there was an overnight bag in his room and the shower was on. He coughed loudly. The shower stopped … Silence ...

"Gordon darling would you be a dear and pass me a towel I wasn't expecting you back quiet so soon."

For once Gordon was dumbstruck there had never been a moment in his life when silence seemed an appropriate response to anything since his recovery. Penelope in his room this was unexpected, he knew she was on the Island but his room. _WTF ... Oh my god_ and still no words would come he seemed to have lost all ability to recall a word of English.

"Did you hear me darling? If you get me a towel I will explain the sleeping arrangements as per Grandma's instructions, there are a few house guests you know." her arm came out behind the door Gordon placed a towel in it and still words evaded him.

Penny sensing his shock allowed him an escape to recover himself "You're in with Scott for a night or two, Kayo and I are sharing in here there's much more room than in hers."

"Shame….I was hoping you were here in for a bunk up" Were these the only words he could find, he could not believe of all the things he could have said this was what his brain had chosen to deliver he knew he would recall the perfect opening line as soon as he left the room.

"Gordon Tracy! Get the hell out of here before I tell Grandma" Penny laughed very relieved that he had actually found something to say.

In the medical wing Virgil preoccupied himself settling the patient in and checking how she was after the transfer. Her vitals were recovering with dopamine, fluids and some pain relief he was determined to stay with her until she started to wake from the induced sleep. His eyes never left the heart monitor and he only relaxed when her heart rate steadied and he was certain the analgesia had kicked in and she was out of danger. If she was not awake within a few hours he was going to have to administer Flumazenil to wake her slowly from the Coma the GDF had put her in and it was not an option he was hoping he would have to take. He was fuming there was no way she had been given a licensed drug, Benzodiazepine had been banned years ago, this was irresponsible and he would enjoy telling the Colonel so. He had no intention of joining the Tracy party he wanted to stay here with Catherine, he didn't want her to wake to a strange empty room and had a feeling that she had been through enough.

Scott found him asleep on the chair next to his patient "Want me to get you some food big guy, or do you want to join the others? Brains or I can take over for a bit you look knackered."

"Cheers but I'm fine. Thanks for the offer of dinner."

He looked up, Scott was still there, he knew him too well, the two of them were very much in tune to each other's needs and feelings "Want to talk big brother."

"I need to tell you something ….. John knows and I don't want you to feel that I couldn't confide in you." John knowing first seemed unnatural to Scott if he had a natural confident it was the giant of a man before him, large in stature but full of natural empathy and kindness. This man was the best of men, someone who he didn't tell often enough how important he was to him but equally he didn't have to, Virgil was well aware that he was the rock that kept Scott sane and never allowed him to spend long in self-doubt mode, dragging him out of the darker side of his psyche on more occasions than Scott was prepared to admit.

Scott's anxiety perked Virgil's interest, it didn't worry him this time, a very different Scott stood before him and he couldn't resist a little fun. "What have you done? Gambled away the business?" He said now grinning.

"Err … no ..." Scott was stumbling, this was new territory and Virgil was definitely enjoying it.

"Spit it out for God's sake I got a patient to look after here."

"I love Kayo." He waited for the response, John had been indifferent but he could not expect much else from him it was just never going to be very important to him in the grand scheme of things, plus he hadn't had to start that conversation this was different, he just desperately wanted Virgil to say something.

"I know." replied Virgil who knew Scott better than he did himself. "It took you a while to work it out didn't it Scooter? You do know you have been acting all weird around her for the past few months. How you going to win her over? It's hard to date on the Island."

"She loves me." confided a much relieved Scott.

Virgil's mouth nearly hit the floor "Fast work there big brother and this happened when?"

"Last night, but I don't want Kayo to feel awkward I promised no more secrets so here I am, you OK with it?"

"I couldn't think of a better person to keep you grounded, now piss off and get me some dinner you mushy shit I got work to do." and he dismissed Scott with the warmest smile.

Progress Scott thought, two down and two to go and then there was his Grandma which was the one he was dreading the most. He had wanted it all in the open before the party was in full swing so Kayo could relax; she had looked so incredibly uncomfortable in front of her and was glad when Penelope took her to one side. That decided it … Grandma next she was obviously the one Kayo was more worried about, the matriarch and in his Dad's absence the one who's blessing would mean the most to her. Virgil had been for him Grandma for her.

Grandma hadn't expected it unlike Virgil with his sixth sense; still she took it in her stride. "Look after her Scott, she's vulnerable you know, she doesn't show her true feelings very often and if you hurt her we will all lose her."

Scott felt he needed to defend himself, this was not something he was taking lightly, not a fling and he most certainly was not going to hurt her "I love her."

She looked at him intently, of all her boys it was Scott that needed someone the most he carried the wait of the world on his shoulders "Then it's perfect, I couldn't think of two more suited people to share each other's burdens." and with that she kissed his forehead, laid a hand on his shoulder gave it a squeeze and returned to the kitchen.

All good so far just two to go, it was going somehow better than he had ever expected they all seemed to sense how important their approval was and so he went looking for Gordon, this was the one conversation he was actually relaxed about. He could hear from the singing that Gordon was making himself at home in his room taking a much needed shower before the festivities commenced. "Better not mess up my room Gordo you slob." this was his opening gambit. "OK roomie I'll try." came the voice from the bathroom "Penny's here I'll be on my best behaviour, we may need a code though I'm kind of hoping that we could do some room swapping in the dead of night and you don't sleep too well do you Scott?"

"You will not be using my room." Scott replied indignantly "There is a line you know and that would be crossing it."

Gordon walked out of the bathroom as naked as they day he was born "Couldn't get rid of Kayo for a bit then could you? Surely there is some sort of mission that could keep Shadow out overnight. I would love to, you know, try to win Penelope over once and for all."

Scott could not help ginning at his younger brother "You will never get past Parker, I am sure with you around he will be standing guard outside the door." He found himself wishing he would put some god damn clothes on, the discussion he had wanted to have would be difficult enough without the distraction of talking to him while he was butt naked. Gordon, as if reading his mind grabbed a pair of shorts off the side and flopped onto Scott's bed.

"You want something."

"Just to talk, I want to tell you that Kayo and I are together."

"You're shitting me!" was the response. Scott did not want to reproach him for his language it was pretty much what he had said when he found out that Gordon was in love with Penelope."

"You OK with that squid, it's kinda important to Kayo that everyone is OK with it."

"Fine by me …. She will still be a sister to me though Scott, be weird calling her anything else." He looked up with that winning smile of his "The room swap then Scott not beyond the realms of possibility?"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Scott replied still grinning at him very much relieved that another of the conversations was out of the way and so far no fall-out.

Just Alan now … and he would be with John if he didn't know any better. John was in his room getting his Earth legs, it usually took him a few hours at least to join the family after the trip down but he was on his own reading, he barely looked up at Scott "Doing the rounds?"

"Just need to find Alan." Scott replied.

"He's in his room with Kayo probably playing some game or other no doubt, please close the door on the way out I wasn't expecting a party and I'll be out when I'm good and ready." with that John went back to his book.

From the conversation he overheard from Alan's door he could tell Kayo was somewhere in the middle of trying to tell him and it was not going well. He walked in and Alan had tears in his eyes, Kayo had an arm around his shoulders "It won't change anything Al, you're my best friend you can still talk to me any time and I will always respect our friendship if it's private it will stay private." she pulled him closer "I am still your sister."

"Just not Scott's." he snapped and tried to pull away; he looked up saw Scott and turned away from him.

"Kayo, can I talk to him please."

"Sure I need to get showered, Penny should have finished by now." she stood with tears stinging her eyes, gave Alan a kiss on his forehead and fled the room glancing at Scott with a pained expression on her face.

"Alan?"

"God Scott why do you go and spoil everything. Things are fine as they are."

"I love her and she loves me too, I want to be with her and I want you to be OK with that. We both love you and we would like you to understand." Scott was hurting now torn between his brother and the best thing to ever happen to him.

"She's my best friend Scott. Please don't take her away from me."

"Wouldn't do that Al, you have always had us both and you will always have us both. Nothing will change."

Alan was trying very hard not to succumb to full blown tears this had been very much a shock to him. Over the years he had had many fantasies about Kayo suddenly finding him more than a friend, he had had this crush on her for more years than he could remember. He loved his big brother but this very much sucked the big one. Scott's silence allowed the news to sink in and he resided himself to the facts. Looking at his brother he finally allowed him to hug him something they both needed, neither of them wanting to break it off, Alan using it as time to gather himself and Scott using it to steady himself after the realisation that he was hurting his younger brother it was the one thing he never expected.

"Look after her Scott she is very …very special."

"I know." Scott replied picking up a stray console from the side of the bed "You wanna kick my arse in Mortal Kombat before joining the others?"

"No… no fun anyway you're too easy to take down. Let's just go down to dinner."

The gathering was in full swing when they got down to the lounge area, even Brains the usually illusive member of the clan was in attendance. Virgil had wanted to remain in the medical wing and Kayo was nowhere to be seen but everyone else had gathered for dinner drink in hand. Scott stuck close to Alan he had an uneasy feeling about his reaction and it was not one he had anticipated. Gordon was quite obviously trying his luck with the love of his life who looked stunning in a full length kaftan with her hair tied up loosely, she was leaning into him almost with her head on his shoulder. Parker, Brains, Grandma and the Colonel were deep in discussion while John hovered on the outskirts present only in body, he was as usual quite lost in a social gathering.

Kayo joined them choosing to sit next to Penelope her talk with Alan had shaken he to the core and she could barely look him in the eye "Virgil thanks you for dinner he'll drop by later if he can."

Grandma gave her a warm smile and sensing her awkwardness came round behind her and planted a kiss on her cheek. After a slightly uncomfortable dinner for some of the party Scott was determined to make Alan his priority "I'll grab some drinks Al, shall we join John on the veranda and it's a good night for stargazing."

"I'll have a beer."

"You will not! You and John are on duty, the rest of us are on down time until tomorrow."

"Add some lemonade then, just one?" Scott decided that this was not worth an argument, he walked over to the bar grabbed a scotch, shandy for Alan and a soda for John. He passed the drinks around stood between his two brothers, all in all it could have been a lot worse and with a little work he was sure they would find a way to make the new family dynamic work. In a way his father not being here had made it easier for him, he drifted lost in thought about what his father would actually think, now that was one conversation he was sure would have been extremely uncomfortable.

Kayo finally came out to join them and placed her arms around Alan and Scott looking a little subdued.

"I am happy for you bestie." Alan managed. He then immediately tried to escape "John can we take the telescope out it's been ages since we did anything together."

"We have just spent a week together." John replied.

"Pleeeese John, I've been looking forward to you coming home." John felt he couldn't refuse he got the feeling that Alan need him as a big brother today. "Go on then but you are carrying it down to the beach, I haven't got my earth legs back yet. Alan left happier than he had been in the last couple of hours.

Kayo looked at Scott and sensing she needed comfort he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close looking out to the night. He felt complete somehow just knowing she was there; he knew that she felt the same. They hadn't made it a secret and with a little work from both of them he was certain Alan would come around. He kissed her gently, lingering and savouring their new closeness it would do for now, none of Gordon's room swapping ideas. Take it slow they had all the time in the world and he had a feeling that his littlest brother would not like anything to heavy around him not until he had fully processed the news.

Virgil joined them later after spending a couple of hours with Catherine who had come out of her induced sleep without further intervention from him. She was drifting in and out but coherent when awake and he was now sure the drugs the GDF had given her had had no ill effect. He had assured her about her safety told her that she was with International Rescue and that no-one could ever come after here on the Island. Once he was sure she understood she was safe he gave her another dose of pain killers so she could get full night's sleep without waking in pain, he checked the clock for the dose time and he knew now that she was stable he was safe to leave her for a while once she fell back into a natural sleep.

He wandered into the room to join the others tired but glad to be joining the others if only for a short while he kissed Grandma on the cheek and took up his usual position at the piano to relax, with the addition of music the mood was lifting even Alan seemed in better spirits.

Alan was the first to retire shortly followed by John who had decided to return to Five having little tolerance for the party or the additional company. He had spoken to Grandma earlier and said he wanted to check on EOS he promised to visit her another time when things were quieter. She was slightly disappointed she missed him so much but she understood his reasons especially the unstated ones, John would never feel the need to interact more that was absolutely necessary. She did insist that he told Alan before he went, requesting that he think about offering him another tour of duty on Five if he needed to escape. Not quite the plan John had in mind but most definitely better than spending two more days in the overcrowded house.

The rest of the party broke up about 1am and they all made their way to their designated rooms now exhausted from the exertions of the day. Virgil made his way to the medical wing before retiring; Catherine heard his steps, slowed her breathing and pretended to be asleep. She would have to make a move tonight this unexpected turn of events warranted clear thought and she wasn't sure how long she would have. She heard the door open and then close and footsteps walking away leave it a while she thought. She needed to find her way about but would only have a couple of hours before she had a feeling she would be checked on again.


	5. Chapter 5

CH 5

On a small island off the coast of Western Australia in one of The Hood's hideaways, his right hand man had returned to continue the planning stages of his partners escape as well as plotting his own agenda. He had his instructions and would carry them out almost to the letter but he had planned a little deviation, insurance was key. New relationships in his line of work were dangerous and his contingency plan was well under way.

He had lived in the belly of the beast for most of his adult life, drifting after his termination from the army into an underworld that truly appreciated his special skills. He may only have been in the army for 19 months before he had been discharged on medical grounds with PTSD but the name they had given him, The Mechanic, was here to stay. He couldn't really remember the person he was before the day he shot two of his comrades in what the army had referred to as a friendly fire incident but the reincarnation was complete as The Mechanic he was certain he could accomplish things his former self could only dream of. He was not here working for The Hood just for power or money, he had discovered he liked to kill he enjoyed being the man for hire and had found from experience that he had no loyalty to anyone.

The Hood had been clear he was to go after his niece but only after they were once again in contact. He however had decided that he would go for this girl earlier than arranged; if she was so important to him it would be his insurance from the double cross. While his new boss was indisposed all his agents, money and technology were at his disposal enabling him to work on the mecha drones and ensure that all other aspects of his partners plans were put in place. His little side-line had been perfect or so he'd thought, piracy on the high seas with a crew member left conscious to call on International Rescue. The cargo providing a little intrigue to perk the interest of his target but his agent had messed it up and killed the one person left to raise the alarm and so the stolen cargo had been taken without notice apart from by the British Government.

In order to execute a second plan he found a weak link at FlyCargo, someone with very little who already had a side line running illegal imports for some contacts he had in the shady underbelly of London in-fact she had already worked for The Hood indirectly via his underworld connections. He found with a little inducement she could be persuaded to work for him burning her bridges at her legitimate place of work. Once she had been given a little information about his plans and who he was working for she enthusiastically committed to his plan, money was Catherine McCarthy's thing and The Hood had plenty.

He had picked wisely, as instructed she had activated the gas in the cockpit, perfectly to plan she had disabled all cockpit data and bailed out mid-flight when the drones attacked. The only thing he hadn't intended was her lack of communication for the pick-up, forcing him to contact his GDF informant to acquire her location, his informant was reliable and soon he had her whereabouts. He had agents on the ground to bring her in while he returned to the job in hand safe in the knowledge his plans were progressing without further diversion.

His next contact from his agents did not provide the news he was hoping for, they had lost contact with the girl after the GDF had intervened preventing them from taking her. They were no longer able to confirm her location and the loose end was not something he was comfortable with he would not take it lightly and would make the agents pay for their inadequacies.

He couldn't dwell on Catherine wasting anymore time she did not have enough information to be of concern. There were more important parts of the operation requiring his attention. The assemblers and replicators taken from the ship were already massing the components required for his drone army. The prototypes he had tested on the FlyCargo plane had only required a few tweaks and he was now in full production.

All he had to hope now was that The Hood's niece had picked up on the Australian connection. He had a couple of weeks before he would need to leave for Europe to be ready to communicate through the receiver making its way to Parkmoor, there may still be time to obtain his insurance. Enough clues had been left and if she was anything like her uncle had described he would be enjoying her company very shortly. All that remained was for him to look after the precious cargo The Hood had entrusted to him in his absence and continue to work on the army of drones that would bring down the Thunderbird fleet.

Catherine could not believe she had been taken to the operations centre of International Rescue and was determined to stay awake so she could make a reconnaissance trip. Taking her first steps outside the safety of the medical facility her heart was pounding, she could not risk too long. She scouted around the lower floors finding a large living area her attention was immediately drawn to the sizeable portraits on the wall that dominated the room, she looked at Virgil's the only one she could put a name to and then studied the others. With the clock ticking in her head and limited opportunity she decided to move on, moving slowly around the edges of the room and into a passage way at the back she encountered a biometrically secured door. This was of great interest to her and she wondered if they separated her from the craft that The Mechanic was making it his life's work to destroy, these were doors she would very much like access to but with limited resources she had no way of beating the security.

With no other choice she changed her recce to an excursion outside which turned out to be a very fruitful decision. Behind the pool area she found an unsecured hanger containing two jets, a Cessna and a Bi-Plane. A way out now looked possible and she was starting to wonder if she would now have an opportunity to ingratiate herself into her new boss's enterprises, maybe she could still show him how valuable she could be.

She checked her watch, an hour had passed anymore and she risked having to talk her way out of a tricky situation losing the chance of any more time to roam free. She took the lipstick from her pocket unscrewed the bottom and took out the small scrambling device attaching it to the radio in the Cessna she made a call which she hoped would secure her future.

Before re-entering her room she checked the door for the small piece of paper she had folded and pushed into the gap between the floor and the door, it was still exactly as she has left it. Breathing a sign of relief she entered the room falling onto the bed her head spinning from the adrenalin, overexertion and the considerable pain she now found herself in. Breathing in and exhaling slowly trying to dull the pain she rested back on the pillow content that her short absence had gone undetected, congratulating herself that she had managed her first scouting enterprise without incident.

Virgil drifted in and out of sleep a phenomenon he wasn't used to, it was 5:40am when he heard the launch of Thunderbird One and he resolved himself to sleeplessness returning to bedside of Catherine. He studied her not wanting to wake her with medical checks, her blond hair now decorated with a back combed effect, her cheeks a little redder than when he had last dropped in to see her, he could tell her condition didn't warrant his immediate concern but decided to stay with her until she woke. There was something about this girl; he wanted to shield her from the Colonel while she was in his charge. Taking the chair at the side of the bed he began watching her chest rise and fall as he waited for her to open her eyes, the hypnotic effect in conjunction with the peace and quiet allowed him succumb to sleep.

When she stirred he sat up in the chair alert he was determined he would be awake when she opened her eyes. Several minutes past, then she turned onto her shoulder and cried out with pain.

Virgil spoke soothingly "Catherine, do you remember where you are? You are with International Rescue you are injured but you will be fine."

"Hey… yes… Virgil isn't it? I don't feel so good, do you have anything that will take the edge off."

"I think we can do something about that, just need to do your obs first and then I'll sort you a dose. You had one hell of a ride off that plane you know."

Catherine smiled at him remembering the thrill of the descent; she had taken a similar ride on many occasions just for kicks but thought it may be best for him to think she had made a brave decision in the heat of the moment.

"Not one I want to repeat in a hurry, talking of hurry any chance of those painkillers I feel like I have been run over by a heard of wildebeest."

Virgil smiled at her "You want the break the skin kind that kick's in in seconds or the pills?"

"I'm feeling brave, after all I just jumped out a plane in the middle of a hijacking I think I can take a little needle." She looked at him as he drew the pain killer into a syringe smiling as he looked back at her then wincing as she felt the sharp pierce her skin, within minutes she felt the effects and the sharp throbbing pain that she had felt since she came back from her excursion dulled.

Virgil left her to rest promising to come back with some breakfast and a change of clothes so she could shower. At the very mention of the word breakfast her stomach started to complain about the fact it had not been fed in 24hours and the thought of a shower was so appealing she could have kissed him. His treatment of her sealed it she would be happy here as the patient staying under the radar until things changed or he asked any questions. She didn't see any reason why she shouldn't just sit back and enjoy this more subdued kind of ride, it was a buzz just finding out just what she could get away with.

When Virgil returned to check on her she had showered and changed and was sat upright eating the bagel he had brought for her. He now had to have the conversation with her he had been dreading, so far she was unaware that she was shortly to be questioned and then taken into witness protection halfway round the world hidden from everything she knew. His heart ached for her, everyone she had every known or cared about, everything she owned was about to be ripped out from under her feet by him, but the GDF needed her and she needed protecting. If he didn't think Scott would have a cardiac he would have been tempted to ask if she could stay.

"Catherine."

She looked at him a little intrigued by the uncertain tone in his voice.

"The GDF and a London Agent are here to speak with you. They have some questions they need you to answer, I don't want to push it if you are not well enough or if you don't feel up to it you let me know."

"When do they want to question me?"

"Tomorrow, if you feel OK." Without thinking he took her hand and stroked it. His compassion was something she never expected but exactly what she needed, this unexpected sympathy was something she was sure she could work with. She looked up at him and grabbed his hand, Virgil wanted her in no doubt about what she would be facing. "Catherine you can't go home, you will have a new life, what was stolen from the plane may cost yours if you go back."

Tears formed in her eyes released and dropped down her cheek rolling under her jaw line and down onto her neck as she realised for the first time her actions had brought her to a point of no return, the path she had chosen meant there was no going back, it took for Virgil to say the words for it to sink in, but either way whether she had been picked up as arranged by his agents or whether she was to be given a new identity by the GDF Catherine McCarthy was now a completely different to the person the one that had performed the pre-flight checks at City Airport.

"It's ok honey it's a lot to take in, don't worry you are safe here for as long as you need to be, I won't let them near unless you are ready."

"Thank you, you really are the kindest person I have ever met." She realised that that was the most honest she was being with him since she first opened her eyes the day before.

She allowed her eyes to grow heavy and she complained of exhaustion, he took the hint and left her alone again leaving her mind to whirl with the many scenarios that may now befall her now she had committed to her plan. The clock was now ticking and it was forcing her arm so she left the safety of the bed to take a look at the supplies in the medical bay. She found she had been entrusted with direct access to sedatives, syringes and an array of sharp implements she could not believe her luck she may just manage to pull this off if she could stay under their radar for a little while longer. The unexpected assistance made her brave and she took a little tour of the unit, five bays in all along a corridor with an emergency exit to the exterior of the property at the end, quickly she returned to her bed before anyone noticed she seemed to be making a miraculous recovery.

Shortly after breakfast The Colonel was called away from the Island to an emergency meeting at Darwin HQ without the chance to question her witness. After a heated discussion with Penelope and Virgil she gave over responsibility for the interview to Penelope who was instructed to bring in their prisoner to the Oceania HQ of the GDF once he deemed her well enough and the Colonel had confirmed that Darwin has not been compromised. Virgil conceded under pressure that he would allow Penelope to question her the next morning if she was off her pain relief but only for short periods at a time.

This left Penelope with time to kill and she was rather enjoying her extended stay on the Island, the sun and tranquillity an added benefit but mostly because she had been allowing herself to spend a lot of time with Gordon and was slowly letting her guard down. She doubted whether she was responding as she would normally have in a situation on home territory on both a personal and professional level. At home she would have pulled rank and interviewed Catherine anyway whatever state she was in. She had a feeling that because the Tracy's were her personal friends her professional judgement had been clouded and she was allowing it because she was enjoying her time with him more than she would admit to anyone. She had been there for a day and it felt like a life time and so far she had still hesitated in allowing herself to get too close to him but if she spent much longer here she didn't think she could hold out.

To distract herself she sought Kayo wanting to speak with her about her conversation with the Colonel. As Scott was away on a mission she also felt that Kayo may need the company after the emotionally charged atmosphere she had found herself in last night. She felt for her, John had sent Scott to an Antarctic Base first thing to pick up a seriously ill scientist and drop much needed supplies as the supply ship couldn't reach them due to exceptionally high seas. He would only be away for a few more hours but she was certain that Kayo would never feel so alone left to deal with the aftermath of their disclosure. She thought this would be the perfect time to go in search of her and give her some moral support. It would also help her to pass the time before she could start to do the work she had come to do, taking her mind off her internal conflict she felt about Gordon.

She struggled to find her at first the Gym had been her first port of call, then the hanger, then their room to no avail. When she did find her she was in Brain's lab semi prone while he seemed to be giving her a tooth examination.

Penny was intrigued "So this is how you are choosing to spend your time while Scott is away?"

Brains stood back a little to allow Kayo to speak. "It's just a little favour for a friend." Kayo replied. "He's giving me an upgrade! Quite exciting really one of his new pet projects, it won't take long, maybe an hour or so then I'll meet you and your boyfriend at the pool."

Penelope looked at her in mock horror "My boyfriend! I am sure that I know what you mean." she left them too it smiling to herself. Gordon all to herself possibly at least for an hour or so this certainly wasn't taking her mind off him. Out of all the inhabitants there would have been a slight chance that Alan may well be with him but he had not shown his face at breakfast and looked set to spend the day in his room.

Until she was joined by Kayo she now found herself looking forward to some short lived quality time with the man that she had found her she growing more and more fond of by the day. She found him there doing laps of the pool and watched him behind her large and expensive Chanel sunglasses. He was doing a medley 200m of Backstroke, Front Crawl, Breaststroke and his pies de resistance the Butterfly. She enjoyed the fact he wasn't aware she was watching him, he was serious and pushing himself and she loved the way each stroke seemed so effortless to him. He truly is a beautiful man in body and spirit she thought to herself, she knew what was holding her back in London the press would have a field day, but out here in this wonderful cocoon she was very near to letting herself go.

She pondered what Parker would think, he wouldn't be so impolite as to say anything but she did care what he thought. He had been the virtue of discretion staying away from her and spending his time with Grandma and Colonel Casey. Lost in thought she hadn't noticed that the sound of water being broken had stopped and the Gordon was clinging on to the side of the pool just looking at her. She was glad she was wearing her glasses they seemed to protect her from the gaze that was making her weak at the knees. He beckoned her over and she went to him sat on the side and allowed her feet and lower legs to enter his domain.

He stroked her thigh, she had expected a wise crack but he was deadly serious "If I don't say this now Penny I may never get the chance, so here goes Penelope Creighton-Ward I am absolutely and utterly in love with you."

"I know….. but Gordon I cannot think how we could possibly make this work. I don't want to hurt you and I cannot stay here." She looked into his eyes "However tempted I am Gordon do you think this is a good idea?"

"Yes." He held her by the waist. "I think this is our best chance, take it Penny move into the guest room." He scanned his surroundings there was no one looking so he kissed her and to his surprise she didn't push him away, she responded passionately slipping down into the water and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"The guest room, planning on a late night visit?" she was uncharacteristically grinning now.

"Hoping you will allow it." He responded with his widest smile. "It's our shot at this Penny and I am going to take it if you will."

"Can Gordon Tracy do discreet?"

"Not doing too well at discreet yourself." He nodded his head in the direction of the door where Kayo was smiling down at them.

"No I suppose I am not, until later then and she left the pool a little embarrassed about the conversation and the fact that she was now dripping wet in front of her friend.

Kayo walked over and offered her a towel and a smug grin.

Penny took the towel gratefully "Shall we sojourn to our room I want to talk to you in private?"

"About." Kayo responded a little amused at her friend whom she had caught very much off her guard.

"Well Scott for one and our guest, what do you think of her Watson?"

Kayo ignored the friendly put down as they headed to Gordon's room, Kayo was a little surprised by Penelope's sudden mention of the house guest. They let the door shut behind them and Penelope took the chance to dry herself off while Kayo lay on the bed looking at her intrigued by her sudden change back into the Penelope she knew and loved. She knew that questioning her motives for bringing Catherine up would not be required she would soon let her know her train of thought. As soon as she was dried and changed Penelope lay on the bed next to her silent at first.

"I don't know about her, I am glad we will soon get the chance to talk to her without the details it is very hard to judge. I will give her the benefit of the doubt for Virgil's sake but I think that I would like you to be in on the interview tomorrow, The Colonel won't mind and I trust in Parker instincts he is uneasy about her being here."

"OK…. Hang on a minute am I bad cop here? If that's the role you want me to play I would like Virgil to be kept well away." Kayo had always known that when he was in medic mode that the normally most mild mannered of all the brothers suddenly turned into the psycho nurse from hell and didn't fancy being the brunt of his anger if his patient complained about their methods. Changing tact she suddenly realised there was one very important question she had neglected to ask.

"Has he allowed her to be up and about yet?"

"Not yet, she still in a bad way, I think she's managed a shower he's officially put her on bed rest I asked to see her in an unofficial capacity but he won't allow it."

"It won't be long, we interview her on his terms then take her in as soon as The Colonel clears it, the GDF can take care of the rest." Kayo responded starting to think that Parker was right and that the Island was no place for a stranger.

Penny then changed the subject completely "Oh and Kayo I will be moving to the Guest Room tonight, I will be leaving soon and I may require some privacy."

Kayo knew exactly what she meant but had not expected such directness from her, she was changing in front of her eyes the usually steadfast lady of steel was slipping and she was allowing her dream to very nearly become a reality. It had been a long time coming and she knew her baby brother deserved this happiness he had adored her for such a long time.

Penelope deflected as if reading Kayo's train of thought "And you and Scott, it's time for you to give in to your new relationship, he is mad about you but I sense you are holding back. Are you conflicted about the family's reaction?

Kayo couldn't respond, in a way her friend was right but …

"Don't be… if you are not careful you will not get past your awkwardness. You need to show him how you feel and I know you have loved him longer that you have admitted, show him and don't make my mistake and waste precious time."

Kayo was now utterly embarrassed; this was her first personal chat with a person of the same sex about a subject she was most uncomfortable with. She had been brought up in a family of six males and an older woman this was most definitely strange territory and she was not certain that she could continue this conversation.

Penny left the bed and started to pack her things "I am going to take my chance I suggest you think about doing the same." As she was leaving the room they heard the sound of Thunderbird One returning. Penelope left some advice for her friend as her parting shot. "Show him."

Kayo turned the conversation over and over in her head, she had spent the last two days worrying about what everybody else thought, especially Alan. He was her best friend but he should be happy for her. Boyed by her talk and the fact that she had barely had an hour on her own with Scott since they had got back she ran down to the hanger.

Thunderbird One was powering down as he descended from the cockpit, he looked tired, his eyes and gait betraying his fatigue but that did not diminish his perfection to her. She watched him as he ran his fingers through his hair then stroked his girl absentmindedly like it was something he had done a thousand times before. He didn't notice her for a minute or two as she leaned against the hanger wall drinking in the view, then he turned and saw her, a broad grin lit up his face there was none of the awkwardness that had been apparent since the episode with Alan. With new found bravery she took her chance ran and launched herself at him wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She tilted her head towards him and kissed him hard stroking her fingers through his hair and down his neck. He broke the kiss to look at her, stroked her hair and kissed her back equally as hard.

"I could get used to this welcome home." He winked at her and kissed her again.

"I missed you." She said as they broke apart. "I am very serious about you Scott Tracy and the more I think about it maybe it would have been better if we had hidden away in London for a while."

He knew where she was going with this, no privacy and god he might have been tired but he had never wanted her more "I know the perfect place where we can hide away."

"I don't want us to hide away Scott and I don't want to hold myself back even for Alan, I love him very much but I can't stop this now."

He smiled reassuringly at her "I can't stop this either and I don't want to, we will not be just one night at Penelope's no matter what anyone else thinks of us, we are together now." He took her hand kissed it and led her back into Thunderbird One. He grabbed a change of clothes and some blankets "Let's take the afternoon off, go exploring, find a little space just for us, no comms the boys have everything covered and let's face it we've already made John nearly choke once."


	6. Chapter 6

Ch6

The steps heading down the medical bay corridor were Virgil's strong, solid strides, breathing a sigh of relief Catherine shifted on her pillow sitting up slightly awaiting the visit. This visitor she could handle, almost looking forward to the small talk and attention that would be coming her way. Boredom was setting in, the four walls surrounding her seemingly moving in a little and taking away precious space from her. Maybe the strange faces that now occasionally took a look at her through the round glass porthole on the door had helped the feeling that everything was closing in around her in, zeroing in on her, increasing her feeling of isolation. The first set of eyes were that of an ice queen, piercing blue accompanied by the type of smile given by a fellow nominee to the winner at an awards ceremony, the smile accompanied by a little wave before she moved on. The steps that came with a shuffle were the most disconcerting, an older face at the porthole, no expression, he studied her intently making no apologetic false smile, just weighing her up with the look of someone burning the truth out of her very soul. Once he had moved on she had decided that once she heard slight groan of the outer door to the bay she would be asleep unless the footsteps she heard were strong, solid and friendly.

"Hey, how's my favourite patient."

"Your only patient." She answered with a genuine smile.

The routine was now the same whenever he popped in and she liked the familiarity of their opening lines, they comforted her like an old sweater you just can't get rid because somehow if you did the very path of your life's journey would change for the worse from that one singular act.

"You need any pain relief?"

"The non jabby type should do. The pains not as acute and I have had nothing to do but rest."

She was hoping this would open up the conversation to the possibility of a little time away from the prison like room. It concerned her that she had not managed to leave the room for more than a couple of hours and with time running out it was time to persuade her brown eyed nurse maid to let her up and about today.

"Do you think I could take a little walk, once they've kicked in? I feel like I haven't seen natural light in days, in fact it's just possible cabin fever is kicking in, I was talking to myself before."

It surprised her when he took her hand stroking her fingers and apologised for his thoughtlessness she hadn't expected him to give her request any consideration without a little pleading.

"I'll come back in an half an hour and if you feel up to it once your pain killers are kicking in then I would be honoured to give you a little tour, not for too long I think you may be overestimating your tolerance for physical exertion."

Catherine smiled "It's a date."

Virgil's short absence gave her a moment to consider her options, just knowing there were planes she could fly in the hanger had given her the impetus to move things along a little. She had heard one of the jets leave this mid-morning, it was definitely not one of the Thunderbirds she had heard the difference when one left in the early hours the vibrations through the Medical Wing were incredible. With only one now left with the range she needed, she didn't want to leave it too late letting the chance of the other jet slip through her fingers. She had to admit the little Cessna had been enticing, if she could have guaranteed a short hop she would have loved to fly it, small and manageable similar to the planes she used on her clandestine runs. The risk was too great; until she was off the ground and could activate a short burst of GPS she had to assume she would need the long range option to get somewhere he could pick her up. Jumping ahead her thoughts turned to a successful conclusion where there would be no need for her to go back to her old life running illegal cargo for the dregs of society. If she pulled this off she was now hopeful for a partner, someone she knew was connected to something big and a very big pay out indeed.

When Virgil returned to the medical room he was carrying a shawl, he wrapped it around her shoulders then held out his arm for her to balance herself as she swung her legs of the bed. The stakes were high, whatever happened now she needed Virgil on her side he may be the only one, she made sure when her feet planted she was a little unsteady allowing him to slide an arm around her waist.

"Ready."

"Can't wait, please tell me there is some sun out there."

Virgil laughed "That's one thing we have plenty of. Not for long though Catherine, they will want to talk to you tomorrow and I don't want you overdoing it today."

They took the short walk along the corridor out of the rear door linking arms as he led her round to the side of the pool. The ice queen caught her eye and she was talking to the creepy older who had visited earlier, the blond looked over to them and started to walk towards them and Virgil raised his hand

"Back off Penelope, you will not be asking any questions just yet this is part of her convalescence." Penelope gave in and went back to her conversation.

"So is that the Agent or the Colonel." Catherine asked.

"Agent, but don't worry I have put her off until tomorrow, she can question you when you've had another good night's rest but only if you feel up to it."

"Won't it be The Colonel?" Catherine asked digging further.

"No, she's had to leave this morning but believe me Penny can be quite as intimidating so if you need to stop let me know."

Catherine smiled things were going her way, she sensed that she could get a lot of information just sat here talking to him. He was quite obviously in his comfort zone, there were no guarded responses and as they sat there together his hand never left hers.

"Is this your family home? Its paradise, I couldn't imagine living here you are very lucky, it's so beautiful." She paused briefly and smiled at him, closed her eyes allowing the sun to kiss her face. "Thank you, I mean that. Just to feel that sun on my face has lifted my spirits, I don't think I have ever been somewhere so perfect in my whole life." She continued feeling his guard was completely down she could almost imagine that he was starting to fall for her. "So tell me about your family..."

Virgil was animated, completely relaxed in conversation with her enjoying relaying stories about his brothers and adopted sister, while she received little brushes to her arm as he talked. She laughed with him waiting for a point in the conversation where she could ask about Kayo directly, careful not wade in and make him bring his guard down. So she allowed the conversation to be led by him, engrossed as it turned to his love of music, permitting him to talk without interruption, touching his hand occasionally as encouragement. Allowing the conversation to grow organically, desperate for it to turn to where she needed it to be but not wanting to question him about his family again until there was a natural point in the conversation. Then he drifted into talking about his brothers, the pride he felt in them obvious as his eyes sparkled with life talking about his brother winning an Olympic medal and another in the Air Force … _here goes_ she thought.

"And your sister how does she cope in such a testosterone filled environment."

Virgil laughed "She's more kick-ass than the rest of us put together; in fact she is well able to drop all of us in one to one combat."

"I'd love to meet her." Catherine gushed "There are so few strong women these days; most young girls are so absorbed in the latest celebrities or fashions."

"I don't think I have ever been able to describe Kayo as a young girl even when she was a child. That girl has a strength and wisdom any one of us would be proud of, we'd never tell her of course."

Virgil took a few moments to consider her request; she did seem to be looking at lot better, maybe a couple more hours away from the medical bay and around the family wouldn't be so bad and he would very much like to introduce Catherine to his them, he worried about Penelope but he could keep an eye on her to make sure that she wouldn't put any pressure.

"Let's have dinner with the family if you promise when you return you will be a good patient, take your painkillers and some sleepers, you still need to rest."

"Deal."

She allowed herself to be led into the large glass fronted living space with a view of the ocean that in the daylight was breath-taking. There was an older lady and a blond teenager over in the kitchen space at the back and a nervous looking guy in oversized glasses breezing through looking extremely preoccupied. Catherine smiled warmly and waited for the introductions, she had to be very careful here and limit the chat to them, she had not considered this to be a likely occurrence and the chances of slipping up were increasing by the minute. Her skin was clammy, her heart rate increased, sweat had started bead on her brow and drip down her forehead and she was starting to doubt whether it had been a good idea to leave the safety of the medical wing at all.

"V...Virgil have you seen Kayo?"

"She can't be far have you tried her comms?"

"Not answering we were g…going to experiment on s…something later, if fact d…do you mind if we use the medical f…facilities later just need to finish working on s…something with her?"

"No problem. Use Bay 2 but please be respectful of the patient Brains." Virgil replied still linking arms with Catherine. "Have you tried the Gym or the Hanger?"

Catherine watched as the man pushed his glasses up further up onto his nose and left in the direction of the secured door she had not managed to take a look at last night which she now assumed must be the hanger. She was desperate to see it but knew that would be a request too far, their conversation had not passed her by either, Kayo in the medical wing later. She did not know what for or even for how long but it just possibly could present the opportunity she was looking for. She needed some more information, desperate now to put names to faces and she had 24hrs or probably less now she had had to admit to being well in order to take a daytime reconnaissance trip. As the clock had starting ticking in her head she started to see how maybe this has not been a well-conceived idea, she did not yet have eyes on her target and apparently this girl was quite capable of drop kicking an entire rugby team.

She held on to Virgil's arm a little tighter, a little security for her but most of all she needed him to see her vulnerability, although he was only her nurse she had a feeling if she was to breakdown she may just get a stay of execution with the agent. He introduced her to his Grandma and his youngest brother Alan, she was all smiles complementing them on their lovely home and clinging tightly to him. Their Grandma seemed to be weighing her up, all smiles but there was something in her eyes that betrayed distrust, she hoped it was because she was holding on so tightly to Virgil and had been invited without warning to dinner.

Alan behaved like a typical teenager, a real adrenalin junkie, wanting the details of the crash especially the bail-out. She glossed over the details of the crash choosing to focus on her rapid descent by parachute instead, sure she would be best placed to focus on aspects of the story that she had so far not divulged but were actually most close to the truth. The teenager looked completely transfixed as she described hitting a crosswind when flaring for landing and losing control of the breaking toggles hitting a rocky outcrop at the base of the mountain. The story also brought a little squeeze round the waist from Virgil, an action that did not seem to be lost on Alan as he suppressed a grin, causing Virgil to throw him a look of warning that amused her greatly. Sure now that Virgil would protect her from uncomfortable questioning she started to relax a little, she would get as much information as she could and then disappear back to the safety of the medical wing to process it, this may well be one hell of a lucky break.

"Alan, please let them know dinner is ready," Grandma instructed breaking up his conversation with Catherine. She indicated to Catherine that she should sit next to Virgil and then formally introduced the agent to her as Penelope and the old guy as Parker. Both took seats opposite her and this made her uncomfortable she felt they had purposely chosen to sit there to intimidate her, every time she felt like she was catching a break something else would happen to stop her in her tracks. Now was no time for conversation just getting through this dinner would be a minor miracle.

Distracted from her uncertainty by another entering the room he was all smiles and energy, a breath of fresh air, a bubbly blond with warm honey eyes. Her heart skipped a beat; here was much more her type of eye candy, there was something familiar about him too, not just the portrait she was sure she had seen him before

"Gordon," he said by way of introduction and shook her forcefully by the hand.

She winced a little and Virgil shot him a look of warning, he apologised to her and chose a spot next to Penelope, she caught a look between them that could only mean one thing and she wondered why someone so full of sun would make such eyes at the ice queen.

Alan returned and pulled out a seat for his Grandma. "The others?" she asked looking round the empty seats.

"Brains is going up to Five, he couldn't find Kayo so he's doing part of his experiment up there loading some sort of old tracking software, don't ask I got bored I wish I hadn't bothered to ask him. He'll be back soon and catch up with her later."

"And Scott?" Grandma questioned again. Then she heard Penelope give a very slight cough and thought better of asking any further. "Must be a fault on One, I'll save him some." Gordon and Virgil glanced at each other supressing their smirks not wanting to say what each was secretly thinking.

Catherine could not resist asking about the missing brother "There are five brothers is that right? Are we missing one? Penelope answered "Just the four of them here at the moment, John has taken a little trip." This cut her off she knew no further details would be forthcoming.

Halfway through dinner two more made their appearance they were completely distracted by each other they didn't seem to notice the people round the dinner table. They seemed about to wrap arms around each other when Alan shifted awkwardly in his seat and Penelope rose out of her chair to catch the attention of the couple who were blissfully unaware of their audience. Catherine was struggling to work this one out, the girl in the portrait; the only other female she was expecting to be at the Island was their sister. It occurred to her that if this was the missing brother Scott that either The Colonel had returned or this was one hell of a weird family. She had been much more comfortable thinking The Colonel was out of the picture so when Penelope confirmed she actually had eyes on the prize her heart rate increased dramatically with the anticipation.

"Kayo, come and sit over this end next to Catherine I would love to talk about you perhaps visiting me for the Deb season, chaperoning my cousin will be tiresome without good company." Kayo furrowed her brow, surprised by her friend and not really knowing what the correct response to this unexpected and unlikely request was.

Virgil shot Penelope a look he seemed to know exactly what the agent had planned. "This Lady Creighton-Ward is dinner not an interview, you will not be speaking to Catherine until tomorrow." Virgil had a tone to his voice that would not be contradicted.

Kayo was watching Catherine with interest during dinner and the rather over protective nature of her sibling, it was true that when in charge of a patient he smothered but she could sense a different sort of protectiveness here. Catherine felt the green eyes burn through her almost all the way though dinner, the eyes of a huntress, almost feline, the relaxation she had felt was disappearing by the second and she was resisting the urge to run back to the safety of her isolated room away from the sun, away from the woman she felt could read her like a book.

Kayo was certain it was time to advise Catherine of how things would go tomorrow, interviewed during the day and shipped out by her by as soon as was humanly possible, certain she wanted her off the island, as soon as dinner was over she would be having a word with the house guest.

Sensing the growing hostility of the women and determined to keep her only ally on side, Catherine started to shift in her seat, hold her shoulder area and complain of pain. Virgil looked concerned and suggested she had overdone things today, offering an arm to lead her back to her room. Scott gave a concerned glance to Penelope and Kayo, he was certain his little brother was developing a fondness for this girl and that it wouldn't end well for him once she was shipped out to witness protection.

Leaning into Virgil on the short walk back to the safety of her room she started to shake from the stress of her recent encounters and the effects of getting up and about. Her shoulder was throbbing, her ribs felt like they were pushing into her lungs, when they were offered she accepted the pain killers gratefully.

"Can I defer the sleeping tablets until later, I will need them more and I can't face waking to an empty room in the dead of night watching time tick by slowly until the interview"

He reluctantly agreed noticing how pale and tired she was looking. "Try to rest, I am sorry, I think I have allowed you to overdo it. I can stay and keep you company."

"Thank you but could you leave me for a while, I'll be fine, I just need to get my head around tomorrow and need some space to think." She had a lot of information to process and needed to do her thinking on her own.

He fluffed her pillows and left her reluctantly advising from the doorway that he would be back around 10 o'clock to administer the dose and check on her. She relaxed once left to her own thoughts now she could put the uncomfortable family dinner behind her. She would need to make her decisions tonight before the interview and the countdown to departure started. This would be her only chance to make the impression she desired on The Mechanic, if she screwed it up they would find out her involvement and she would spend the rest of here formative years on the inside of a GDF penitentiary.

Virgil returned to the living area where most of the family had re-convened scowling at Penelope, Gordon shot him a look and he thought better of tackling her in front of everyone. He would let it go for an evening of peace but he would be more vocal tomorrow when she wanted to question his patient. He made his way over to the piano to relax in the way his mother had taught him how and absentmindedly drifted into Mozart's Fantasia No3 while lost in other thoughts. He was not certain that he was ready for Catherine to leave and was hoping that the Colonel would report that Darwin wasn't safe forcing them to accommodate her as their house guest for longer. He admired her bravery, escaping from the plane and making sure her colleagues were rescued before passing out at the bottom of the mountain. Yes, this girl was something special.


	7. Chapter 7

CH7

The music washing over the family was an unexpected pleasure, rising and falling into different pieces and moods, his concentration not required as he looked at them smiling his hands moving effortlessly over the keys into one genre after another. The whole family were delighted by the impromptu concert which was rare pleasure, each drifting in and out of their separate thoughts while the music enhanced their relaxed state.

Gordon was the most distracted, it was not the music that dominated, that only aided his drifting thoughts about Penelope and the night that he hoped would seal them forever as a couple. Their conversation had seemed so easy poolside; their plans were now fading unless he could pull them back. He hadn't considered how difficult it would be for him to whisk her away from a room full of people and if he left it as late as the promised late night visit he was starting to doubt he would have the nerve without a little encouragement. In his ideal world he would lift her without effort, carry her to his room and they would not leave it for days. Here with an audience and a very different Penelope to the one at the pool he needed find a way for them to feel alone, to drift into their natural state without her feeling that there was a certain way she would be expected to behave.

He caught her glance more than once but that wouldn't be enough, she was a woman not a teenager and maybe a more direct approach would be required. If he could steer her away from the others to allow events to happen more naturally then all might not be lost. The woman consuming his thoughts was stood over by the piano enraptured by Virgil's skills but still looking over every so often catching his eye, he felt she was almost pleading to take some sort of action. Whether it was his brothers in the room or the fact he was out of his comfort zone so far he remained inert and at a complete loss how to start the conversation that would bring up the possibility of turning his dream into a reality.

The stolen glances between the two had not been lost on one member of the party, leaving the comfort of Scott's arms Kayo walked over to the drinks cabinet relieved it of a bottle of Krug and three glasses and took Penelope's arm and lead her onto the veranda, arching her eyebrow a her newly indecisive friend.

"Don't go wasting anymore precious time." Kayo threw her own words at her like a direct challenge.

"I have a feeling I was very much lost in the moment, the situation this evening presents is somewhat of a challenge to my own bravado."

Kayo poured them both a glass looking intently at Penelope who looked very likely to back out unless there was some miraculous intervention, or at least a call from John request all the birds bar Four were needed which may at least prompt the unusually reserved Gordon into some sort of action. Looking into the room she could see Virgil engrossed in the music, Scott trying to engage Alan in conversation and Gordon staring longingly out onto the veranda. The person posing the most problem she sensed was Parker and he had one eye on Gordon while in conversation with Grandma. Gordon had never been very comfortable around him, he was an acquired taste, always deadly serious and always keen to point out Gordon's imperfections to Penelope.

"Wait here, I think I can arrange a little distraction for Parker and a little breathing space for you…. Hold this." Kayo instructed passing her the empty glass and leaving the veranda with the open bottle of Krug.

Kayo expertly pushed the bottle into Gordon's hand giving him a little shove towards the veranda and steered Parker with her other arm to a table at the back of the room placing him in a seat with his back towards them she then picked up a pack of cards and started to shuffle.

"Texas Hold'em, heard you're an expert and I like to be taught by the best."

Gordon made his way out to Penelope without further encouragement, his sister probably his favourite person in the world bar one right now. With Parkers back to them and everyone in the room engaged in one thing or another, this would be the only chance he was going to get and rather than drag it out with small talk, losing the moment, he rested the bottle on the table, took the glasses out of her hand and kissed her. Penelope responded a little guardedly aware of the fish bowl environment of the kiss and pulled away first.

"This evening seems to present a challenge." She linked his arm and leaned in close not wanting him to see her pulling away as rejection.

"It doesn't need to Penny, only if we make it one." He kissed her cheek then picked up the bottle and the glasses.

"It's just two friends going for a drink and I think we can find a way through the medical wing to the guest room undetected." A relief washed over him, there he had said it and he had brought it back to their conversation at the pool. His heart was beating fast, his mouth dried while he waited for the response from Penny that would either leave him disappointed or fulfil the efforts made over the past few months.

"Friends Gordon, I was rather hoping we would be more than friends."

Gordon grinned, placing his arm around her waist steering her from the veranda towards the pool. The spur-of-the-moment card school had not prevented the gaze of Parker, it just allowed them a little time to escape the company that neither desired. Grandma an expert on diplomacy suggested that he and she take a walk round the gardens to enjoy the last rays of the sun and to walk off dinner before they retired.

"I would be delighted." And he immediately offered his arm, grateful for an escape in the opposite direction from where his gaze had so recently been.

This made Alan snigger and amused Scott immensely, she chose to ignore them, her look said it all and she accepted Parkers arm and left the younger end of the family to it. Hoping that Gordon would be discreet, the man linking her arm had a certain sense of propriety and was the missing father figure Penelope's life she would hate him to be made to feel uncomfortable in their home.

As Kayo re-joined the others Alan made his excuses and went to the office to contact John in private to ask if he could come up for twenty-four hours when Brains returned. A little disgruntled by John's obvious lack of enthusiasm at his request he reminded him of his promise to Grandma to give him the option forcing him to reluctantly agree. Once he knew he could escape from the awkwardness he now found himself with he started to relax a little and returned to the sofa swallowing his pride and sitting next to Kayo. They all let Virgil's music immerse them; Scott had his eyes closed and his arm loosely draped around Kayo who was nestled into him enjoying the tranquillity that had descended on the room. She pushed it a little with Alan putting her feet on his legs but she sensed what was usually so normal now made him feel uncomfortable and he soon rose under the pretence of making coffee, this was not a job that Alan usually volunteered for and this simple rebuff wounded her more than she expected.

He returned with the drinks choosing to sit next to Virgil at the Piano rather than sit again with Scott and Kayo, an action that was not lost on either of them. Kayo moved a little from Scott allowing a little distance between them in an effort to make him more comfortable. They were interrupted by John's hologram.

"Scott we have a situation. A group of ranchers have been cut off by a flash flood in the Australian Outback. They have made it in the nick of time to higher ground but need airlifting off to the nearest safe outpost before the waters rise any further."

Virgil looked up, one for him and Two but he was torn about leaving his patient.

"Kayo please let Brains know that Catherine will need her sleeping pills and painkillers when he's down on the medical wing later."

"FAB"

"And Kayo please I don't want anyone talking to her until I give permission, I will access her condition in the morning."

Kayo rolled her eyes at him. "Yes doctor."

Virgil may have been absorbed in the piano but Alan's desperate need for escape had not eluded him. His younger brother had looked more lost today than he had seen him in a very long time it was time for him to take him in hand and get out of him what was truly bothering him. The Alan he had seen today disturbed him, he was uncomfortable watching him close himself off from the family he was usually so free and easy with.

"Alan, fancy a ride along?"

Alan was grateful to his brother until Brains returned this seemed like just the escape he needed, his heart had not yet caught up with his head and he still felt that sick to his stomach. The thought that Kayo would know exactly what was bothering him freaked him out, he could live with this but if she ever found out how he had felt about her he doubted he would ever recover from the embarrassment and Kayo had always been able to read him like an open book.

"Thunderbirds are go."

Both descended into the hanger by their usual route, Virgil in dramatic fashion on a downward slide and jump into Thunderbird Two and Alan on a slow descent on the chairs though the lounge room floor to the hanger below.

Scott would be up know monitoring the comms until his brothers returned safe an old habit picked up from his father. Kayo snuggled back into him enjoying a closeness she had never had before and discovering that letting someone in, allowing herself to be vulnerable was not as scary as she imagined. She ached for Alan not imagining why he of all her brothers had such an issue with something that brought her so much happiness, she would need to talk to him again but after striking-out last time and his current knack of avoiding her she wasn't sure how to fix it.

Scott sensed her sadness and the reason for it "He'll come round."

"He seems to have forgiven you; well at least he talks to you and doesn't find any random excuse to avoid you."

There was the truth, his brother was certainly more at ease with him than Kayo, she did seem to be bearing the brunt of his anger. A few more days of this and he would need to have a word with him, Kayo did not deserve the reaction she was getting.

He wrapped his arms around her pulling her close, kissing her, contemplating whether he could break the habit of a lifetime and dump Comms duty to whisk her off to his room. He was interrupted from his thoughts by Brains returning from Five.

"Ready K…Kayo, I'm setting up in Bay 2?"

"You bet. See you on Med Wing." She responded.

Scott looked disappointed "You sure you can't do this tomorrow, kinda comfy here?"

"I've made a promise to him to have a little ENT surgery, only a mild anaesthetic should come round within the hour and he has been looking for me for half the day." Scott looked at her puzzled.

"Can't really explain the theory but I promised I'd be the guinea pig as its security related, it's some old locational tech from his early days he's keen to make improvements on. I think he is trying to develop comms not linked to the suits or wrist communicators. He just needs to reacquaint himself with it in the field before he takes a shot at updating the technology. I've already had a little upgrade on my tooth just going to have a little implant in my ear and we'll experiment with it a little tomorrow."

"You coming back? It's nice and quiet round here." Scott remarked with a little suggestion to his voice.

"If you are very lucky I may drop by when the boys are back and settled." She replied thinking now that her promise to Brains was ill-timed and she now had something she would much rather be doing.

"You're forgetting Gordon, though maybe he could bunk up in Alan's if he goes ahead with his visit to Five." He was grinning now he was getting used to the change in the relationship, everything seemed so normal, it had only been two days but he felt like they had been this way forever.

Kayo straddled him grinning "I wouldn't worry about Gordon, you won't be seeing him for a night or two he will be very much engaged in his own covert operations in the guest room. We are not the only ones who will be sneaking around later!" She leaned in and kissed him "I'm in demand tonight got a date with Brains and if you are a very good boy I may just pay you a visit later."

Scott leaned back on the sofa raised his legs and arched an arm around the back of his neck smiling wishing he could fast forward a few hours and get to the later much sooner. That started him thinking about his brothers and their very different luck in love, Gordon finally getting somewhere with a certain lady he had pursued for months if not years. Then there was Virgil who was on the way to getting his heart well and truly ripped out of his chest once Catherine was taken from the Island. This worried him, Virgil very much wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to love, when any of his relationships had failed he had gone off radar for weeks and the fall-out from this particular encounter was going to crush him he was certain.

He could hear him on Two talking with Alan almost at their target, in work mode but counselling Alan none the less about his reaction to the news about him and Kayo, getting him to open up a little. Scott felt uncomfortable eavesdropping on their personal conversation, he left the comfort of the sofa for a while not wanting to hear Alan's angst, he was glad in way that his brother were ensuring that he was OK but hating the fact that he was directly responsible for how he was feeling. Returning when he heard Virgil confirm with John that Two made its target, he settled back again allowing his eyes to close as he listened his brothers try to calm several animated Auzzies.

Kayo dropped into Med Bay 2 where Brains was setting up for her minor surgery. "All good? Have you checked on next door before we start?"

"J…just going with her m…meds now and then we'll s…start, should be no longer than an hour and then I'll play with the f…frequencies in the lab before activating."

Catherine could hear the activity in the next door she hadn't expected someone else to be dishing her meds when Brains offered her the pills, it must mean that it was Virgil was called on a mission, she had heard and felt the vibration of the jet engines but wasn't certain who had left. She was in dangerous territory now her only security was gone from the Island the damsel in distress routine was not going to work on anyone else she was sure of that. Luckily for her the replacement nurse maid was the bumbling bespectacled man she had seen earlier and he was preoccupied by something else he left her after placing the pills in her hand, no conversation, he just returned to the Bay next door.

She could hear muffled conversation for a while but resisted the temptation to eavesdrop she didn't want to be caught and knowing she would never make it to the hanger until the coast was clear she was forced to wait it out. If she did get out she would have to hightail it back to her room if she heard the Thunderbird return sure that Virgil would call in as soon as he returned. Her mind was now in overdrive, tonight was going to be an adrenalin fuelled roller coaster ride, way out of her depth and still hadn't decided on a definite plan but the excitement built in the pit of her stomach.

One set of footsteps left the room next door after a half hour or so they were heavy set so she guessed it was the man she had seen earlier. Leaving it a half an hour before sneaking a little look into the next room she found Kayo asleep on the bed. Making a quick retreat and then returning armed with a syringe and enough sedative to knock out a horse. With her target out of the picture she went to tamper with the jet disabling the transponder and switching off comms. Then she contacted The Mechanic again from the Cessna using the scrambled signal to give him her options and allow him to take control of her actions.

"Tonight!" He growled "It has to be tonight, you have taken too many risks and if you think you will be able to take the plane when they take you in you are more naive than I gave you credit for. If you do get in the air contact me again once you are away from their Island. If you make it out I will pick you up, over and out."

No time to respond just get on with it.

The Mechanic was frustrated he was expecting that the girl would come to him but hadn't counted on this newly acquired employee who was now only providing a distraction from the mystery he had created to entice her to him. If much more time elapsed there was a chance that it would be the GDF that came looking in Perth not Miss Kyrano. Yes, he would have to pick up the jet if she managed to get it off the Island and then he would deal with Catherine once and for all she had now served her purpose and was becoming an annoyance. He would give her chance to bring him the girl but he would now need to make ready to move his whole operation earlier than he required just in case the stupid bitch had compromised them, silly little girl thinking she can play games when the stakes were this high.

Catherine returned to the medical bay, self-administered a strong dose of painkiller, taped up her shoulder and bound her ribs then waited for the painkillers to kick in, she then grabbed the patient transfer aid she had found in bay 4. It was now or never, considering the options a strange calm descended over her, it may have been the extra dose or the fact that she was finally taking some action but her nerves had disappeared and her mind was focused.

With a struggle she tried to hoist her into the chair, a limp arm hit her face something hard dug into her cheekbone, _shit her communicator,_ _school boy error_ , she checked over the prone body of the girl for any more devices, satisfied she tried once more. This time it was easier once hoisted into position she made the short walk to the pool area wheeling Kayo round the very edges keeping to the shadows. Once she rounded the small gazebo at the back away from the house she felt invigorated, 200yrds to the hanger she was going to do it and she was very nearly there. Once inside she breathed a sigh of relief, the enormity of the undertaking just hitting her. She lifted Kayo over her shoulder and carried her up the steps of Tracy One, dumping her unceremoniously onto the first set of seats; if she could get this baby off the ground she was home free.

She opened the hanger doors only after she had commenced the pre-flight check then she brought the plane to life planning to drop low after her initial climb, she knew the chances of being traced were slim if she flew at 1000 ft over ocean. The short bursts of GPS she would need to use would perhaps be the only indicator to anyone looking for her but it was a large ocean out there and she would be a moving target and she hoped she had time on her side before they picked anything up or even made the link. Her plan was complete no going back and all she had to do now was rendezvous with him and once pulled under his ship, job done…. Payday here we come. She taxied out of the hanger onto the short runway and lifted off into the star filled sky. Catherine McCarthy had managed to swipe a jet right from under their noses and she could resist a little whoop of delight.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch 8

Virgil looked in awe at his little brother, they had barely been in the air for 10 minutes when he had shifted his feet over the co-pilots seat and drifted off into a deep sleep, that boy could sleep on a clothes line. The rescue had been easy apart from them having to remonstrate with a few ranchers about the impracticalities of trying to get several horses transported by air from the danger zone. The horses would look after themselves but the ranchers who had seen fit to pack several bottles of beer each amongst their emergency supplies had proved a little difficult to bring round to their way of thinking. Alan had enjoyed every minute of Virgil's exasperation, it had been just what he had needed the old impishness returned when he had seen the look on his brothers face. The little brother who on the journey out had been full of angst and confusion had truly come back to him when faced by his battle to persuade a few slightly inebriated Aussies that the flood waters were unlikely to rise further and argue the complexities of transporting the horses in his craft. He would take it, the Alan he knew and loved had a sparkle in his eye and mischief in his voice as he stoked the fire and Virgil had loved every minute of the exchange. He looked again at his brother whose head was lolling with a slight smile etched on his face, if he'd have had his sketch book it would have been a moment in time he would love to capture.

With the Island in site Virgil tried to wake his brother with a friendly tap to the leg but he was in a deep sleep and seemed unlikely to stir without a little alarm call. Well a little payback wouldn't hurt; he activated the emergency bail out alarm and chuckled to himself as Alan jolted out of his slumber with a start and a word that would make Grandma punish him for a week.

"Virgil, what the hell!"

"Just your standard early morning alarm-call little brother, we're nearly home. You wanna see Scott or make your way to bed? I'm going to give him the low down on our little excursion."

"Can't just give him your version of events can we?" Alan replied his eyes regaining the sparkle that Virgil had seen earlier.

They found Scott asleep on the sofa when they returned to the main room, a sight they were not used too and both found it amusing.

"Is this what you call watching us home big brother?" Virgil walked towards him and lightly punched his shoulder. "There was a time when you would be up pacing the floor."

Scott rubbed his eyes and smiled at his brothers whatever had occurred on their short mission had brought Alan back like a breath of fresh air, his blue eyes portraying a newly relaxed state and the old bounce had returned to his step.

"You Ok Scotty? You look done in, all routine didn't need babysitting." Alan rounded the back of the seat and hung his arms around Scott's neck.

"Can't help it …I can't go to bed when you are out there, you know I need to be ready to launch if you need me, control freak I guess." He smiled at them sensing that they had a story to tell that would be lost if he waited to hear it later.

He stood up to greet his brothers properly. "I still lose sleep over dad you know, I know it's ridiculous but I need to do this."

Alan hugged his brother tightly and Virgil joined them for the pile on. They all needed to sleep but somehow their camaraderie was more important

"Let's have some hot chocolate before hitting the hay suggested Scott."

"OOO and marshmallows." suggested Alan.

"Anything you say little brother."

Scott was inwardly delighted, he wasn't sure if this had anything to do with Virgil's skills in peace-making but he truly felt he had his little brother back and it felt wonderful. They sat and chatted about the rescue, Virgil retelling the rancher's reaction when he had point blank refused to take the horses as well and Alan's unhelpful comments during the debate.

"Their language was truly educational wasn't it Al?"

Scott sank back and enjoyed the normality of the debrief with his brothers, especially Alan. No awkwardness, no hostility, no bitterness just the younger brother he loved so very much, close and back with him, it felt great and he knew he had Virgil to thank for it.

Virgil was the first to rise, having got Scott and Alan back to their old comfortable state he could make his excuses and go to the place he had wanted to be since leaving the hanger.

"Just going to check on Catherine then I think I'll retire, Alan's been giving it z's since we dropped them off at Laramba, so good luck trying to calm him down." And he left them throwing a wink at Scott which was immediately returned.

He dragged his tired frame towards the Medical Wing hoping Catherine would not find it too weird if she woke to find him asleep at the side of her bed. Although usually sleep would only come when surrounded by a mass of covers and pillows he had recently become adept at sleeping in a chair next to her. He hadn't known her long and had only been away for a few hours but he had missed her and the feelings that had begun to build inside of him had surprised him greatly, it had been a long time since anything like it had surfaced. On the return flight from Australia while Alan slept, his mind had been in overdrive working out if there was any way of them protecting her for The Colonel, surely their Island was the safest place in the world. He had a thousand justifications going around in his head for Catherine to stay and was sorely tempted to make the call before Penelope got involved with any questioning and contacted the Colonel herself.

Both Scott and Alan headed towards the bedrooms as soon as Virgil left them, Scott could not help hoping that Kayo had not given up on him and was keeping his bed warm. Alan stopped at Scott's door slightly nervously wanting to brave the issue that had so recently hung in the air between them and bring closure to his recent actions.

"I'm sorry….. I have been unfair…. I love you both very much." he turned to leave then spun around "Tell Kayo I'm sorry too."

"Tell her yourself in the morning she would really appreciate her best friend back. Night Alan and thank you" Scott hugged him and turned to enter his room.

He was disappointed to see Kayo wasn't there but understood she would feel a little awkward letting herself in if he had not come back. He could hardly wait to give her the great news in the morning, she would be very relieved that Alan had forgiven them and a little normality could return. He had just settled back on his pillow reliving his amazing afternoon with the girl who was no longer only part of his dreams when he heard stomping feet coming towards his room, _shit… Virgil_ what could possibly have driven him to this? It reminded him of the time an eight year old Alan had made an addition to one of his exam pieces a memory that brought a smile to his face. Virgil was rarely mad, Scott was concerned and a little intrigued he was just about to open the door to find out what the hell was going on when the door slammed open missing him by inches.

"You shit! Why the fuck didn't you tell me that your girlfriend had taken Catherine to the GDF." He spat the accusation at Scott.

"She hasn't, Virgil what the hell are you talking about."

"You sure! The medical bay is empty and I am damn well sure that the sleepers that Brains gave her would have knocked her out until at least six and Kayo is not in Gordon's Room."

Scott was stunned, he could actually well believe that Kayo with Penelope had come up with the plan to take her in if the Colonel had been in contact. What he couldn't believe especially now was that Kayo wouldn't have told him. Virgil was pacing Scott's floor wearing a hole in the carpet with a look in his face that Scott barely recognised, he could count on one hand the times he had seen this look before and he needed to diffuse the situation before all hell broke loose.

"Let's talk to Brains maybe he forgot her meds and she's having some late night air, she looked fine at dinner well able to get out and about herself."

Virgil glared at him "OK… Brains first and then I want to talk to Penelope, they have been nothing but obnoxious to her since she came here."

Scott wanted badly to avoid Virgil storming into Penelope's room in the mood he was in Gordon would kill him. Damage limitation …..

"Look we'll talk to Brains he was looking after her and then we'll find Kayo she won't have gone far."

Brains was shocked to be disturbed so rudely from his sleep, groggy and bewildered under Virgil's brisk questioning and sensing an anger in him he had not felt for a long time. Virgil rarely lost his temper but once the flood gates were open it was no contest between him and Scott who Brains would rather have been on the receiving end of and the current tirade was coming from his least favourite option. He couldn't quite get to grips with what had happened to cause such a reaction in the usually so mild mannered member of the family so he stood there open mouthed hoping for an epiphany.

Scott took control seeing the struggle in the scientist to fathom out what on earth was going on. "Did Catherine take her meds?. We are trying to find her, she's not in her room. Thought maybe you'd forgotten and she out stretching her legs."

"I g…gave her the pills. I left K…kayo in the Med Bay I thought she would s…sleep it off in there and keep an eye on her for you V…Virgil."

Virgil shot a look that could curdle cream towards Scott.

"I am going down to the hanger if Tracy One has gone then your girlfriend has a lot of explaining to do, I may never forgive her for this." He stomped off fuming, stopped and turned to Scott

"You coming or what, she's got form for this and I think it's about time you reigned her in once and for all."

They made their way to the external hanger in silence, both brooding and likely to snap at any moment if either of them said the wrong thing. They had had their fights in the past but this was likely to descend into the physical sort both wanting to protect the honour of the one they cared about. Before they were even close they could see that the hanger doors were wide open.

"Get her on the comms now, if she's not arrived at Darwin HQ she can damn well turn around and explain her actions."

Scott bristled at the hostility Virgil was aiming at Kayo and was sorely tempted to knock him to the floor but until he had all of the facts he managed to stop himself.

"Let's find out from John when she left and then he can talk to her, I don't think either of us are in a good place right now to be speaking to her."

They walked back to the main room in silence. Scott could still sense the seething anger in Virgil he was still pacing the floor like a man possessed not even able to even look at him. John answered the call and he could instantly tell by both brothers demeanour that this was some fall-out.

"You disturbed me to referee and argument?"

"Not exactly… Could you tell me when Kayo took out Tracy One and confirm her destination." Scott responded

"Tracy One's not out." was the matter of fact reply from John. The brothers looked at each other not really comprehending the information.

"She is we've just been over to the hanger and with a process of elimination it must be Kayo." Virgil responded vehemently.

John checked his readings "Then Tracy One has disappeared of the radar. I'm picking nothing up from her at all, no signal, no comms, there was no request for clearance to take-off… What the hell is she playing at this time?"

This comment wounded Scott more than he would admit, he trusted her and was now getting an uneasy feeling, in fact he felt like vomiting. He was starting to get the distinct impression that something was very wrong and the Colonel had made a very bad call. He needed to be sure before he was going to demand a damn apology from his younger brothers and wake up the household.

"I want to look at the medical bay for myself." He shot a look at Virgil daring him to follow him. In Catherine's room they found the used syringe, discarded phials of painkillers, sedatives and medical tape under the cover on the bed. Scott was seething but said nothing walking into the room next door where he found Kayo's comms bracelet discarded on the floor next to another syringe.

He picked the bracelet off the floor and needed no further evidence, he looked Virgil in the eye daring him to speak "Wake them all up… if I find that bitch of yours I will kill her." Scott was likely to snap at and minute, it was the opposite for Virgil for whom the realisation of betrayal was just kicking in. His legs buckled slightly under him and he grabbed hold of bed to steady himself as the colour drained from his face. Scott sensed the struggle in his brother but was unable to offer anything up as comfort; he barely had control over his own mind and body.

"I'm sorry Scott… We'll find her… Scott she's my sister" Virgil added almost pleading with his brother recognise the emotional turmoil now bubbling in his own shocked brain.

This brought Scott out of his blind panic but offered no relief and his anger towards Virgil did not dissipate.

"Get them up; I want everyone on this Virgil if I don't get her back I may never forgive you for this." He was deadly serious while his temper was in full flow, the red mist had descended and he didn't care who he was hurting. Scott very much wanted to hurt someone and Virgil was nearest and in his eyes at this moment directly responsible for Kayo being taken.

Virgil sounded the emergency alarm which raised the household, Gordon and Alan arrived in minutes finely tuned to the call to action stations and only halted when they could sense that the scene they had stumbled into was like nothing they had every encountered before. John just hovered there with no instructions no intelligence and no call for a particular bird to assist with the call; he seemed to be waiting for one of the others to speak. Scott couldn't speak to them his body was tense, his eyes had turned deadly, his hands balled into fists and for the moment he was unable to acknowledge the presence of his younger brothers.

The friction was broken slightly by the appearance of the others, all bleary eyed and uncomprehending when they saw that the two brothers in the centre of the room were quite obviously bristling and shell-shocked with John hovering in between them like a holographic referee. Scott barely acknowledged the presence of anyone in the room other than Virgil, he got up went to the wall and punched it to relieve his tension and allowed the pain to spark him into life.

"Brief them and then tell the Colonel we are off duty until I have her back." Tears of anger were pricking in his eyes and he could not look at anyone.

Grandma was the first to speak, her boys would quite obviously respond only to the directness she could give. She would not allow this to continue and she would demand answers but first she gave a look to Alan and Gordon, they had seen it before they were not to speak until they had her permission to do so.

She directed her question to the older three who were still immobile in the centre of the ring "Would somebody like to tell me what on earth is going on."

"She's gone, our houseguest has taken her. The one thing Dad instilled was no strangers and now we are paying the price." Scott slumped as the realisation of his own words hit home, he had allowed the inner sanctum of International Rescue to be compromised and he was being punished for his own stupidity.

Penelope needed clarity the facts presented were sketchy at best and she could not function on pure guess work alone. She could not allow emotion to get in the way of vital information, she pulled them back with one simple question that would bring her the facts from the beginning.

"Where's Kayo."

Virgil tried to respond but was still very much in disbelief of the situation and couldn't get the words that would condemn him to the rest of the family to leave his mouth. John took the lead this factual request brought him into a reality he could deal with he relayed as much information as he had received from Scott to her which gave Virgil some much needed time to recover himself before he was able fill her in on the rest.

Alan and Gordon for the first time since answering the alarm call understood the scene before them, Gordon grabbed Alan's arm and pulled him into a hug sensing that the enormity of the situation would hit. Certain that an outburst of emotion would soon follow he led him to the nearest seat and kept his arms around his brother who was now trying his hardest to stifle the need to attack Virgil with a verbal onslaught. Scott on instinct walked across the room and grabbed the lamps that would start his descent into the hanger.

Penelope was the first to recover from the shock and sensing that she needed to stop knee jerk reactions decided that asking for specific actions would be the only assistance she could offer.

"Scott wait …..John all communications from the house, I want the lot everything in or out since we got here is that understood."

F-A-B

Penelope looked at them one by one the enormity of the situation was dawning on all of them, taking control she looked at Scott walked towards him placed a hand on his shoulder and in her calm, steady and authoritative voice spoke only to him.

"I know your instinct is to go after them but until we narrow the parameters of the search area it's a wild goose chase. We need to gain as much information as we can … timeline of events tonight; likely destinations, we can't rule anything out at this stage."

Then she turned to the others "Speak up if any of you have anything that may help. If you want to give her the best chance we spend a few moments now considering what information we do have"


	9. Chapter 9

Ch 9

Catherine flew for thirty minutes before risking switching on the comms briefly to make contact with him again and then activating a short burst of GPS for her location. He instructed her to fly south towards the Southern Ocean where there was less air traffic, and she was to then travel west where he would rendezvous with her. He had been monitoring GDF communications for some time and it was clear so far they were uninvolved with trying to locate the stolen plane. The impulsive actions of Catherine would not jeopardise his operation, nothing relating to his hideout was known by the girl, there was nothing to lose. It would be interesting to see how this played out, he was starting to be a little impressed with the audacity of this bit player, he hadn't expected her to get this far and she may well have saved him a lot of time and effort if she got away with it.

Catherine flew due south low at 1000ft with no live data available she was judging everything on manual readings she was running on pure adrenalin she should have been tired, her painkillers should have worn off due to the effort of lifting the dead weight onto the plane but she was wired. If she thought that getting Kayo off the Island was the hard part she was just realising she was very much mistaken. She was used to piloting aircraft but she was used to doing it with a flight plan and co-pilot and was rarely required to take the controls other than for take-off and landing, doubts about her capabilities started to invade her thoughts.

The realisation of the difficulty of flying at night with no landmarks to guide her made her heart race. She had to resist the temptation to keep flicking on the GPS to help stop her feeling of isolation, every minute in the air on her own felt like an eternity. Nervously she checked the altimeter; her main concern was her decision to fly so low over water. Her mind was swimming with all the possible pitfalls of an inexperienced pilot flying manual control on a type of air craft she had never flown before.

The more miles she put between herself and the Island and she started to relax. The closer she was to risking a little technology to get her next locational marker with no sign of other aircraft she started to imagine she was going to get away with it. She felt vitalised, she had done something on her own, made up her own rules and so far she was winning. She was at best guess about 50 miles from the due west turn and the GPS positioning which would help to provide a little of the security she desired.

She took a look over her shoulder though the open cock pit door at her prize who was still sound asleep from the sedative given three hours earlier. The cargo she was transporting this time would be the most valuable contract she had ever delivered on, maybe enough to bring her the luxury of being able to make her own life choices. Relaxing into the flight she switched on the GPS to confirm her position and she was closer that she had calculated. An hour or slightly more and she would have done it, his craft was fully cloaked and she would disappear no longer needing to worry about the GDF.

The closer she came to the pickup her tension had started to ease; she was starting to enjoy herself it was a beautiful night for flying. Lady luck was smiling on her in another few minutes she would check the GPS for the final time and send the signal and rendezvous with his aircraft. She was feeling high on her success, absolutely charged she could not wait for her meeting with The Mechanic she was playing with the big boys now.

The vibration on the jet and the drone of a much larger craft above her matching her speed indicated her goal had been achieved and she felt the relief wash over her. On hearing the sound of grapple attach she released control of the aircraft to him and once again turned her attention to her unconscious cargo. In her new found smugness she couldn't resist contact with the man she was sure must be impressed with her actions.

"Well I have a little present for you on-board."

"No comms." He growled.

Once the grapple had pulled the jet under the belly of the larger craft she stood and stretched, she hadn't realised how tense she actually was. She heard a moan from behind her and instinctively took hold of the syringe and sedative prepping the dose but as Kayo wasn't awake she decided she was going to tie her up just so she didn't get her arse kicked mid-flight.

She left her seat and exited the cock-pit to the cabin space behind as she walked up to her she couldn't resist giving a little kick to the stomach of the semi prone Kayo just to gage what reactions she actually had in her groggy state. Kayo took the sucker punch in fact it was just what she needed to ensure she didn't succumb immediately to the desire to fall back into sleep. She was disorientated, struggling to get her bearings and she was certain she was incapable of standing. Frantically she tried to think through the haze, her mouth was like sandpaper, she would have killed for some water both for the inside of her body and to throw onto the outside. Her first thought was she had to remain awake without attracting the attention of the girl who was smiling at her smugly. Closing her eyes she tensed her muscles one by one starting at her feet hoping her body would release a little of its own chemical arsenal to battle the drugs she knew she had been given. Then fighting the fog still consuming her brain she urgently tried to activate some simple thought processes, her only chance was to fight through the confusion the drugs had left her in and all she wanted to do now her head hurt so badly from the strain of trying to rouse herself was to vomit and fall back to sleep.

She tried again to activate her brain cells not wanting to give up so easily, this time she concentrated hard on pulling into order the schematics diagram for Shadow, she couldn't even pull the basics out of her drug addled brain. The thought of Shadow linked her immediately with Scott, her family and the Island she called home. Fighting to regain some control over her body and mind she slowed her breathing to centre herself, performing simple breathing exercises, tensing her muscles with each inhalation releasing the tension on the exhale. Once she was satisfied she had managed at least to stave off her bodies' immediate need to sleep she managed to bring her brain back to a stage where she could manage logical thought processes, her immediate need was to take in her surroundings.

She started to assess the situation she had woken up to, she was on Tracy One that much was clear she had travelled and piloted the plane on many occasions. Catherine had taken the plane, another fact; the cow had kicked her in the stomach a far cry from the pitiful victim Virgil had introduced to them to at dinner.

She would now need to play the victim for a little while until she could work out what the hell was going on, full role reversal, she would need to be just like that bitch was on the Island. They would definitely come after her so with that in her mind and although it went against all her instincts she allowed herself to be bound. Her hands were tied roughly behind her back; she could feel that she wasn't wearing her communicator and her thoughts of escape turned to the plane and the comms in the cockpit they would be her salvation once she could move. As she was pulled heavy handily to a seated position, she let out a small groan allowing her head to drop slightly and hoped she was playing the semi-conscious card well.

Catherine was enjoying herself that was clear, through half closed eyes Kayo noted she took pleasure in showing her the syringe, playing with it, eyeing her as if daring her to make her use it. With Catherine sat there in front of her she assumed the autopilot was on, as far as she was aware and although the reason was beyond her it was her and Catherine taking a little trip.

In the ship above The Mechanic was looking forward to meeting his recently acquired bounty, a little more bargaining power when it came to the end game with The Hood. He would have a couple of weeks at least to make her acquaintance and she may even help him by proving good bait when he wanted to test the capabilities of his drones. The first of many he was hoping to amass were ready to be unleashed and if they managed to take control of or destroy craft like the Thunderbirds and the GDF fleet he may even be unstoppable. He had secured his contingency plan and the balance of power had swung in his direction.

…...…

Scott's thunderous voice could be heard by everyone in the main room, he had insisted on contacting the Colonel himself and headed to the office slamming the door. His rage left her with no doubt about the blame he was apportioning; he was demanding their full resources to locate the missing plane.

"Scott I cannot authorise more than the monitoring of air traffic at this stage." She replied not allowing her voice to differ from her calm, authoritative tone.

"You had better be kidding me Colonel, I have the resources to monitor air traffic myself! I expect your full co-operation you are responsible and you had better damn well make it right."

"I assure you will have my full assistance when we have a location. What I cannot give you now is assistance in the search, it is not in our remit Scott and you know it."

"And what I don't have Colonel is her location otherwise I wouldn't need your god damn help. I will not take no for an answer."

He ended the call abruptly before his voice could betray him and slumped in the chair taking a much needed moment to gather himself before returning to the others. He had not felt rage like this for a very long time the emotions stirring in his system needed release. He could not return to the others while the demon inside had control, he needed more time on his own to regain a semblance of composure but his brain had turned against him. As he toyed with her comms bracelet his thoughts turned to Kayo beaten and broken begging for his help, she might not even be alive. There had been hope when he only had to consider finding the plane now he had started to consider that they may already be too late. The instant he had allowed that particular darkness to invade his mind, dwelling on what had happened to her in the few hours since she left the Island and his mind conspired against him.

A knock on the door interrupted the incessant spiralling, Alan ventured in and draped his arms around him, Scott flinched avoiding the contact that was meant to comfort and brushed Alan's arms away from his shoulders. If he succumbed to those arms allowed the security they offered the floodgates would open, he would fold and the little fight he had left would be lost.

"Scott we will bring her home, we will get her back." He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself as much as comfort his older brother.

Scott raised his eyes to look at the brother who was fighting hard to keep his composure, to be strong for him while he was failing them all. Managing a weak smile, trying to find the Scott inside that didn't give up, didn't desert when he was needed the most.

"Scott come back through to the others, we need you."

Alan was pleading but his voice did not break it was strong and steady.

"Penelope wants us all to talk about any encounters with her in case she's slipped up."

"Any news from John?"

"Not yet, he'll find something."

"Give me a minute Al please. …... Al I need to see Virgil."

Virgil watched Alan's expression as he left the office, the silence emanating from the room now more deafening than the onslaught they had overheard in the last few minutes. Alan looked at him a tear that had been long fought off left his eye and made a slow journey along his cheek dripping of his jaw, Alan did not need to find the words Virgil instantly knew that he was needed. His brother was now in danger of shutting himself away from them in a self-serving spiral of hopelessness which would continue in this way until he had an action to take, a rational that brought him back to an automatic function without emotion tainting his response.

Virgil entered at first reluctant to make eye contact with the brother he knew was hurting badly and still feeling directly responsible for it. The feeling left him instantly when he saw him, a shadow of his former self, ashen faced, head down and nursing Kayo's comms bracelet in his hands. All he wanted to do was to sweep him in his arms and assure him that everything would be OK, he didn't have that luxury he could tell by looking at Scott he didn't need or want the physical reassurance he just needed him to be there. Virgil took the seat opposite in silence waiting for Scott to open up, once Scott's eyes meet his he saw their pain mapped by the red lines across them and dark shadows clinging to the rim of his eye sockets. He knew instantly the place Scott had been, his anger had now dissipated and left him lost, they had been here before. Scott would need to talk first, if he distracted him now with overtures of reassurance he would hide his true angst and his fear would be buried. He sat keeping eye contact waiting for Scott to find the words to tell him what he needed.

Scott desperately wanted to lessen the distance that had formed between them but was unable to walk around the physical barrier of the desk. If he walked to Virgil he was sure that the emotion he had been stifling, the desire to break down would take over. The anger was good, feeding the determination to find Kayo and make Catherine pay, despair he could not allow and he would fight it. What he had wanted so badly to say to his brother, releasing him from blame could not be spoken for fear breaking down into the arms he was sure would enfold him. There would be a time but this was not it.

"Virg … I …We need to get her back."

The tone in Scott's voice spoke a thousand words.

"We will Scooter. ... " Virgil searched for his eyes to hold them in his gaze "You seem to be underestimating the Kayo factor, she will fight Scott. You know she will."

Scott met his eyes a faint smile played across his mouth; she just had to find a way to contact them. Hope... Virgil had given him a small ray of hope and he loved him for it.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch10

The eyes in the room all turned in synchrony at the sight of Scott and Virgil leaving the office together, Scott's arm rested around the larger frame of his brother. Their mood obviously lifted, supporting each other, Scott's body language told them all they needed to know they had him back. The destructive force of his anger had been quelled by the rock that had always looked after his body, mind and spirit. Of all necessary actions that could have been taken at that point in time Virgil had performed the most essential.

Scott returned to a position close to his route to the hanger still feeling his inactivity keenly, every sinew in his body ready to move on a moment's notice, hope was no substitute for the swift conclusion he needed. The fear that had gripped him in the office pushed down only to reappear in spasmodic waves surging though his mind, zapping his energy as he fought to expel it again. The fear of losing any of them had always been in the background; on missions he pushed it to one side in the heat of the action out in the field when doing what they had dedicated their lives to. Each time returning after a close call it would be dispelled by the arms of the brother who had very nearly succumbed to injury or worse in the line of duty. Here with no distraction and no direct action to take every minute was torture, just waiting on the chance of air traffic being picked up to indicate her location or contact from Kayo demanding to know where the hell they were allowed time for fear to build. God he hoped the next voice he heard was the angry sarcasm emanating from Kayo's voice as he heard her opinion on them all allowing that bitch free reign on the Island.

He felt like his heart had shattered into a thousand pieces; the pain would have been as acute for any member of the family but in his heart Kayo was no longer grouped in his feelings with them. She was his soul mate and had been unspoken for a very long time, his need to protect her, to keep her away from harm had been the cause of their many arguments and he had taken his time in realising his true motivation. Two days, they had just two short days together, leaving her in the time frame of a brief fling when she was so much more. He felt robbed of the chance they had given themselves to share their future and the burdens they both held heavy on their shoulders. Scott drifted in and out of roller coaster of emotion, the hope that Virgil had left him with, he didn't know anyone stronger, more capable of fighting her way back to them and then despair she may already have taken last breath alone and frightened. He was still struggling make eye contact in case his eyes met the sympathy that would allow the tears he had been fighting to flow while he was still consumed by his failure to protect his family in the place they should be safest.

John's hologram reappeared in the centre of the room and all eyes searched his face hoping to see the relief etched in it indicating they had something tangible to work with.

"John communications, have you picked anything from the house" Penelope walked towards the holographic image in anticipation of his response.

"Not the house but EOS has confirmed some transmissions from the hanger the earliest on the night she arrived."

Virgil lifted his eyes to meet John's; the night he had assured her of her safety with them she had been compromising theirs. The night he had spent in and out of sleep worrying about her condition, her future, agonising over how he was going to tell her that her world was about to be turned upside down and she was contacting someone planning her escape and plotting to take his sister. He walked away from the ring to the safety of the piano, taking a seat but not lifting the lid, finding no solace in the familiarity but extending the distance between those his actions had hurt.

He surveyed the room taking in his family and their grief one by one. Grandma sat with her arms around Alan, clinging to him but betraying no emotion her complexion the only thing giving away the utter shock she felt. Gordon supporting Penny round the waist while she stood close to John's holographic image as if narrowing the distance to the man with the surveillance capabilities at his fingertips would bring good news sooner. Brains and Parker both pacing like expectant fathers at opposite sides of the rooms. He studied Brains muttering under his breath while displaying his nervous habit of pushing his glasses further up his nose, heading to the lab then changing his mind and pacing back. Parker's pacing sentry like, his arms straight down his side, tension only displayed by the clenched fists and gritted teeth. He couldn't help feeling he had brought them here, the one simple action, the straightforward and universally conformed to action of locking away all medical drugs and supplies to ensure they could not be misused by the patient. That simple act could have prevented the utter devastation he had inflicted on his family and the pain that was now left raging through his being.

He heard John confirm that the signal picked up from the radio transmitter in the Cessna, could not be traced by EOS. The receiver of the transmission could not be located because she had scrambled the communication. _God she came prepared to do this_ _and used it on the cargo plane …_ He watched as Brains paced a new determination set in his features and his nervousness abating and then Penelope who released herself from Gordon's arms and walked over Scott taking his hand in hers.

"We need to narrow down the search area and pin down the time frame the plane took off. We should get a rough idea of the maximum distance it could have covered." She turned to address the room "We need the last time anyone last had eyes on Kayo."

"After t…ten thirty, maybe eleven, I l…left her in bay 2 she was coming r…round from the a…anaesthetic and entered a normal s…sleep pattern." Brains responded bringing his pacing to a brief stop. He had a problem to overcome and he could not find a solution in these surroundings with this amount of distraction. He had made his decision; with his part in the questioning quite obviously over he hurriedly made his way to the lab.

Penelope sensed Scott's anger had dissipated into despondency and inactivity was not good for him but there was no point sending him out without a destination and she knew he was close to going anyway once the talking stopped and they were forced to wait. She needed to suggest something but was struggling to come up with a viable option for him that would stop an impulsive reaction. Her words and touch were enough for the moment as Scott moved back towards his family with her the helplessness leaving him while an option to do something may present itself. Penelope was talking in a language he could understand and he was desperate for something so he could launch One and start to take back control.

Virgil's eyes followed Brains as he left them, this man he knew and there was no way he'd have left the briefing room unless there was something pressing in the lab directly relating to the mission and this meant that surely there was something he could do to assist. While Penelope was in full flow directing the need for information Virgil slipped out after Brains.

"John calculate maximum distance if the plane left at Eleven at maximum speed. Virgil, Alan what time did you return?"

Alan looked at the empty spot where Virgil had been sitting, the eyes in the room followed Alan's gaze and noted his absence. "Just before two, we were up for a while and would have heard the plane if it was any later than that."

Alan's words struck Scott like a punch to the face, his legs losing all strength he almost slid to the floor and he just managed to save the fall by crumpling into a seat. If he hadn't have been asleep he would have heard the plane, he would have been in One like a shot as soon as he discovered Kayo missing. The anger inside was again turning full force on himself and it was dawning on him how much he had let her down, he had never usually found it so easy to get to sleep and never when his brothers were on a mission.

"Then we have our initial search area." Penelope commanded moving away from Scott to grab the edge of the seat behind him. Now starting to shake uncontrollably, the shock just setting in with her as some of the others started to recover themselves. Gordon placed his arms around her and steered her to a seat before her legs gave way. She allowed her head to nestle into his shoulders, smiling faintly her gratitude for saving her from the embarrassment of the collapse she had been close to. She looked round the room still determined that there was something to be gained, over half an hour had now passed since the alarm had woken the household and she still had nothing. A steely resolve gripped her, she would not rest until she had something no matter how small that would help uncover a little more. Every puzzle had its starting point and every puzzle had a solution she just needed to find the one thing that would give them first small step towards the resolution they all desired.

"Share ... thoughts, ideas, however ridiculous they may seem speak up, information is vital, question everything. Why... motivation is usually key. Where… we must know something and Who… Catherine must be working with someone that girl did not manage this alone."

"The Hood M'lady? He has made the most direct threat? Parker suggested.

Penelope looked at him, was that bastard getting his revenge on his niece? It did seem the most logical explanation he had set his sights on his niece on many occasions maybe he had decided to remove her free will from the offer he had made her many times over.

"It's a start; I think I would very much like to personally inform him of the disappearance of his niece. We need to know if he's involved, this may be part of the threat he made"

"GPS!" Alan shouted. "Night flying over the pacific, no data from air traffic control, navigating by stars isn't likely, maybe she's bouncing short signals off satellites to help her get to her destination."

"Good Alan." Penelope was trying to get a logical order to the investigation in order not to miss an opportunity; she did not want to leave to speak to The Hood until she was sure she hadn't missed anything.

"It's a big search area, I'll get EOS on it but it could take a while, if she's used it regularly enough we may get her heading." John removed himself from the briefing room to locate the likely satellites Catherine's signal may have used so EOS could run scan's checking for a anything that seemed out of place.

Alan recalled his conversation with Catherine before dinner, the description of the thrill of her parachute ride was in hindsight not quite the story of someone frightened for their life making an escape from a hi-jacked plane, she had been too enthusiastic about the danger, far too animated about her precarious descent. In his eagerness get the detail from her tale he hadn't recognised the discrepancy.

"I think Catherine bailed out on instruction, I think the agents were there to stop her from talking one way or the other, I think she must be working for The Hood"

"I don't doubt it." Grandma interjected.

"Perth M'Lady, is it worth a punt? Don't forget everything relating to both Cargos so far has brought us back to Perth. Catherine was very much involved with the missing cargo it may be a link we haven't considered yet."

"Thank you Parker, Kayo certainly considered it. I knew I was missing something without anything else on the table for now it is worth a shot." She removed her compact to make contact with Five.

"John until we have anything else Perth is a priority, monitor all air traffic in the area. She may still be in the air but she will reach her destination within the hour if that's where she's heading."

Brains and Virgil's holograms appeared in the centre of the room, Virgil's grin did not escape them

"I may be able to help; If we can p…pinpoint her location within a few hundred kilometres then use Five to pulse the f…frequency to activate device."

No-one had any idea what he was talking about and in his own shock he was not explaining himself in any logical sense. The usually confident scientist was fumbling around to find the impact he needed to show the potential in the devices he had recently become reacquainted with, forgetting completely to introduce the idea to the group.

Virgil took over to give the scientist time to recover his composure "Kayo has a locator and in-body bug, old technology, Brains has designed a programme for longer range capability, he downloaded it to EOS yesterday for field-testing and recording the data. We have one problem the devices haven't been activated, the test phase was scheduled to commence tomorrow."

The small glimmer of hope that he had started within Scott and Penelope for a swift resolution started to disappear and they were back to square one.

Quick to notice the dejection that had instantly appeared on their faces Virgil continued hoping they would see the potential he could with what Brains was suggesting "There may be a solution, we will need John's assistance to test the theory, Brains will need to be on Five."

Brains took over enthused now his audience seemed to have caught up with him "Maybe as EOS has the f….frequencies we could rig old t…transmission equipment onto Five and I'll make a p…patch to our remote f…flying signal transmitter to activate the device remotely. It's not p…perfect but I think it might work."

Penelope would have kissed him if he was in the room, at least there may be some hope if they could just locate the plane.

"John as soon as Brains is up on Five you get to work with EOS on sending out the remote activation signal."

John felt he needed to stop her running away with the idea this was one hell of a long shot "Penelope I don't want to state the obvious but I move around the Earth in geosynchronous orbit. It's out dated technology I cannot beam it anywhere but down to the Island without massive modifications. I could use the lateral thrusters to manoeuvre Five into position above Perth but as that is still speculation I cannot risk our one chance at this. I need to work with Brains and EOS to try to find a solution for longer range but as for our search area at the moment we will still need precision. I cannot move around space hunting on the off chance. Penelope at the moment we are at best your Plan B."

In Penelope's eyes there wasn't much but they had something to work with, there was Perth, a conversation to be had with the Hood and the combined brain power of the two most intelligent men she knew with a little help from an A.I. who could give them both a run for their money. It was a starting point and hopefully it would lead to more than a dead end, it would lead them to Kayo and they would bring her home.


	11. Chapter 11

C11

In the briefing room the mood had lifted now options to do something were presenting themselves. A little of the optimism natural to both Alan and Gordon had returned, they fully expected EOS to verify an unidentified plane making an unscheduled landing in Western Australia confirming all they needed to know. Virgil returned a smile gracing his features now that Brains was on his way to Five with the kit he needed for the rig. His demeanour emanating a confidence that the signal they all needed would be picked up by Five in a few hours served to buoy the household. Grandma now busied herself making hot drinks for everyone, they didn't have to drink it but if they needed it she had provided it, hitting her default mechanism was all she could do.

"Scott until rescue is likely I will require some of your resources to get to The Hood?" Penelope requested the composure in her voice back to its usual professional manner and tone. "I need to get to Parkmoor and we need somebody on the ground in Perth."

Scott gave a controlled response someone had asked for his help and he could give it. "Virgil you take Parker and Penelope to England. I am heading to Perth, I can't wait any longer and it's the best we've got."

He kissed her forehead noticing for the first time the stress showing on her usually unshakable features.

"Thank you Penny"

For Scott the fact he was leaving the Island was a great release in itself, the need for him to be in Thunderbird One had overwhelmed him in the last hour. Now the option of a destination had presented itself, he was certain he would be narrowing the distance between him and Kayo. It was sufficient to focus his mind and hit a mode in himself he could recognise. He crossed to Virgil as he prepared to make his way to his descent wrapping him in a hug.

"Help me bring her home big guy…... I'm sorry for lashing out at you; this one is down to me."

"Scott, don't. I shouldn't have allowed myself to be taken for a mug" Virgil responded and before Scott could reply to free him from the burden of guilt he was still carrying he made his solitary journey to Thunderbird Two.

Scott returned to his position at the lamps this time pulling them down hard watching as Penelope and Parker rose to make their way on foot down to the hanger.

"Thunderbirds are go."

Gordon walked with them to Thunderbird Two desperately hoping for Parker to take the hint and give them a few minutes alone together. He hadn't expected their goodbyes to come so quickly, he still has so much he wanted to say. He grabbed her hand clumsily trying to find a few words that would leave her in no doubt about his feelings and his desperate need for her to return.

"Penny ….I ….."

"I know Gordon. Look after them."

She looked at him locking his eyes in her gaze sensing the reason behind the loss of optimism he had so recently found.

"I'll be back in a few hours. I promise you I will be here when we get her back."

He watched Thunderbird One and Two launch torn between sadness at the distance that was now being forced between him and Penelope and relief that Scott was on his way to bring Kayo home. Events in the last hour were now taking their toll on his emotions; he was no longer needed to support Penelope and the initial elation he had felt when Brains made his way to Thunderbird Five full of promise had disappeared now he was left on his own in the hanger.

Scott launched to a destination with no plan and only his sure fire knowledge that if they got him a location he would get her out of there and punish the woman that took her. He so desperately wished for a normal rescue where John would tell him what was needed and where to go and he would fly in and save the day. This was a waiting game, this need for obtaining information before action was Kayo's territory and he saw now what a resilient person she was. She was able to bide her time when necessary to take small actions whenever they were needed to ensure the rest of them could do their jobs. Now he had to wait, inert in the background while he trusted his family and friends to find her so he could bring her home. The familiarity at the controls helped ground his thoughts to the job in hand, this was a rescue although the pace was foreign to him the rest was mere detail, he was in One and he would soon be reunited with her.

In Thunderbird Two Penelope sat next to Virgil under different circumstances this would have been a rather exciting she rarely got to fly in any of the Tracy's special craft. She was reluctant to speak first she didn't want him to misread anything as an accusation and she could tell he was hurting badly. Small talk with Virgil could be an excruciating experience unless they were talking about art or music and in this situation it was not a viable option. So until they had some contact from John, Brains or Scott there was nothing to say. She glanced at him, he was lost staring vacantly out of the large window she wished there was something she could do to ease his pain. Both of them were carrying guilt for the situation they found themselves in and Penelope needed to acknowledge hers out loud, she desperately wanted him to speak. Feeling as lost as him in the silence, angry that her lack of judgement had brought them here. Her mood descended as the distance from the Island and Gordon increased, she started to feel that only slim hopes remained while there was no other voice to give the comfort the she craved. The miles continued to pass in uneasy quiet both of them were desperately holding on to the thought that someone left behind may find something no matter how small to give them the news they hoped for and the release from guilt they needed.

Penelope's need to see The Hood had come from Kayo's own certainty that he was planning something to bring the family to its knees, his last words to her on the Island had rocked her to the core. Kayo had persuaded her to speak with him a within weeks of his incarceration and although she had realised the request had been a little naive she was happy it had given her friend some closure on the subject of her blood relation. That night as Penelope had comforted her she realised that for the first time in a very long time she had made a true friend not the fair-weather type that graced the highest circles of British society. Penelope's darker thoughts once more gained control in the lonely silence that hung heavy over the journey. Had The Hood got his payback from inside his cell? She couldn't think of anyone else that would have such a personal score to settle and yet she was unsure that this remote revenge would have been his style. The fact that she was so desperate to know for sure had dragged her half way around the world, away from where she needed and wanted to be, this only served to add to her frustration and misery.

John's hologram appeared interrupting her swirling thoughts "Thunderbird Two, we've located some data indicating short requests for GPS signals located far from air traffic in the Southern Ocean, if that's Tracy One the heading is west."

This pulled both Penelope and Virgil from their separate despondency, each wanting John to confirm that this meant they had a location on the plane.

"There is no air traffic control data indicating unidentified planes on radar but the last request is on 115th meridian. I think it confirms Perth as a strong contender; she would need to re-fuel before risking travelling any further out across the ocean. We are still looking to confirm contact north of that position."

"Are you manoeuvring Five into position, can we send the signal?" Virgil asked now back amongst them.

Good Penelope thought we have him back right where he is needed.

John was not too enthusiastic "We still have a lot to do, the rig and patch are in place but the signal is not strong enough, I cannot move until we are sure it will work. We have a test receiver in place on the Island and so far it's not been activated, we are still working on it."

"Options John, we need options." Penelope was desperate; the hope for Thunderbird Five's assistance she had felt at Tracy Island was slipping away.

Brains interrupted "We are not on our own in o…orbit. If we can load a s…similar rig and p…programme onto everything up here we would c…create a relay which should boost the signal and give us the p…possibility to widen the search area, Five could remain in p…position until guesswork is out of the e…equation."

Virgil was back he knew exactly what Brains was asking they needed GDF permission to upload Brain's software to every manned station in orbit.

"Alan needs to take Thunderbird Three to Thunderbird Five so you can talk him through the install and assist. … Scott … Scott?"

He knew his brother was on the comms he was not used to his silence but knew he was there, hoping that the commander in him would kick in, waiting for his voice desperately needing him to speak. This may be now a rescue and he wanted his brother right there back in control. Within seconds there he was, his voice strong and composed and back where he was needed giving orders. The familiarity of Scott in command of the situation allowed a little tension to leave Virgil's shoulders.

"Alan launch Three get what you need from Five, install all software to Global One, all International Space Stations and the GDF manned first defence stations. Brains ensure as much as you can maximum coverage of Perth, when they all fall in line work on a solution for a wider search area. "

"F-A-B"

The voice Virgil heard on the next set of orders was positive and the Scott he was desperate to hear.

"I don't need any more Intel I am certain that's where she is and my ETA is 10 minutes. I'll be on the ground when we have her location. Gordon will man the comms back home and Virgil as soon as you have dropped Penelope and Parker please come to Perth I don't want you to wait for them I need you here. The GDF will assist their return to the Island, Gordon contact the Colonel and ask for her assistance."

Hearing this from Scott, relieved Virgil enormously allowing him to release a little of the anxiety that had been building in him since the discovery Kayo was missing. He looked over at Penelope giving her a small smile and noticed for the first time how much pain she was also carrying, her had never seen her so unsure of herself. He leant over and touched her hand giving it a squeeze.

"John and Brains will find a way, don't worry. I bet by the time you make it back we will have her location."

"I am sure you are right."

"I know I am right, I wouldn't be surprised if Scott has found her before I am halfway to Australia."

Penelope smiled squeezing his hand in return hoping very much that the words that Virgil had uttered held some modicum of truth rather than trying to make her feel better about fleeing half way around the world on a fool's errand. She could not help but feel the clock was ticking and their opportunity for rescuing Kayo before she fell into the hands of Catherine's co-conspirator were dwindling by the second but it was not something she was prepared to share now she saw the sanguinity returning to him.

Scott arrived at the port of Fremantle still highly frustrated by his lack of direct action there would be long hours ahead before Brain's relay was up and running. He landed Thunderbird One on the redundant naval base at Garden Island, not wanting to announce his arrival too publically and got one of the Tracey Industry cars to pick him up. Once in the familiar surroundings of the CEO's office he listened to an update from John who was keen to reiterate what a waiting game Brain's plan was. Each satellite needed to boost the signal to the next before making the trip back to Five to send the strengthened pulse earthbound. The initial euphoria that had built on his journey disappeared now he was alone in the office in the middle of the night. He allowed himself the comfort of a scotch letting the warm amber liquid to awaken his senses. After pouring the second and with no company or distraction his thoughts turned to Kayo and how much she needed his strength, he managed to preserve the self-control needed and poured the rest of the bottle away, removing the temptation to drown away his loneliness. He rested his head on his arms across the desk while his fingers clung to the bracelet he had been holding on to since he had picked it up from the floor. He closed his eyes to suppress the tension headache now building with ferocity behind them still anxiously waiting for a holographic image to interrupt him and send him the location he desired.

Alan launched with a very different mission to Scott's, Alan's was set in stone he had a purpose and a job to do. Alan's journey although it had objective did not distract him from the thought that Kayo's last memories of him had been him pushing her away. It would be twenty minutes before he liaised with Brains and John on Five for his mission brief and in every one of them he regretted hurting her. Virgil had helped him to evaluate his feelings on his way to the flash flood in Australia, he did not really love her in the same way as Scott. He had known that even when she was talking to him earlier but he did want their closeness to himself. Kayo was different; although she was older than him by a few years when she came to live with them she had chosen him to be her friend first. As a young girl she had loved to mother him, which made her feel safe and he had let her because he had been much too young when he had lost his own. As they grew up together their bond was strengthened, their relationship changed into an intimacy he had never had before. Now because of jealousy he had snapped at her and he felt terrible, the best friend he would ever have was alone somewhere and he felt powerless to help her. As far as his flights into space go this was akin to nipping next door but it felt like light years before he got to Five and he could take some direct action that would help her.

"Docking completed." John confirmed. "Brains has everything good to go and we have briefed the recipients about the rig and install to save time, you're just the delivery boy on this one."

Alan could not wait to get started desperately wanting to get her home "What's the route for the drops and how many are we getting to assist on this?"

"Global One is sending a shuttle, the Colonel has asked a Captain O'Bannon to obtain the install for all the GDF stations in orbit this way we get the job done quicker. Until we get confirmation if we can use some of their in-service or even redundant satellites I need you to drop in at the three International Space Stations."

"And then? … John what do I do then?"

"You go come back here Al, just until we know if install on any of the satellites."

"A…Alan I am working on p… permission from p…private enterprises too, if we can u…use their kit I will give you the t…trajectories of e…each and talk you through install, if not you go home."

"Can't we make them? Alan wanted to scream. "Can't we just do it anyway?"

"The GDF can't authorise it Al." John brought his arms around the shoulders of his brother sensing his distress hoping the contact would calm him a little "We wait and see. It's an expensive ask though, they won't feel they are getting anything in return and they won't want to give over to external control which is in effect what we are asking them to do. If we get any it's a bonus. Are you ready to launch Al? I have Captain O'Bannon looking for permission to dock?"

…

Kayo had started to realise that no-one was coming for her, that somehow that plane was not being traced. Now the drug induced haze had dissipated she was also now certain that the autopilot was not in charge of the flight. She had heard the familiar sounds of the jet above and knew that the plane was being transported by a larger craft. This fact scared her more than anything, Catherine was not acting on her own and her options were getting more and more limited. She could more than handle her if she could just get her hands free but she had no way of gaining control of the jet. While Catherine stared at her from the seat in front smirking at her in silence Kayo still feigned partial consciousness as she pushed her hands down the back of the seat barely creating a movement trying to push the rope down. With her legs free she was going to make a run for it but she would need her hands free to knock her out. The rope started to move down from her wrist to her thumbs, she tucked them into her hands and continued to work it down. Every movement burned her skin but once she felt it slacken she knew she would now be able to free herself when she had the best option to act. The next sensation she noticed was the lack of forward motion it now felt like they were hovering. Then she got the feeling the plane was being lowered, the comms kicked in and Catherine ran to the cockpit.

"Lower the landing gear. On the ground you taxi into the hanger I will send my agents to pick you up while I take my craft to the secure hanger."

"And my payment?" Catherine responded eagerly her part of the enterprise nearly complete.

"The Hood will reward you well. … Touch down 20 seconds. Don't stay out on the runway you get this plane to the hanger and we will discuss your payment when everything is secure." Catherine eagerly took back control of the jet and taxied towards a small hanger at the end of a disused runway.

Kayo was poleaxed her fucking uncle had arranged to take her, her heart rate increased at the realisation she could disappear and no-one would find her. Her mind was now working overtime, who was the voice on the comms, was this person the new threat that he had promised? She controlled the racing nature of her thoughts, it was time to stop thinking and start acting she had to use this valuable time when it was one to one to formulate some sort of chance. She sprang up freeing her hands and ran into the cockpit fighting for control of the plane, it took Catherine a few seconds to comprehend the attack and in the scuffle between the two she ploughed Tracy One into the side wall of the hanger.

"You dented my plane." Kayo smiled at her and punched her square in the jaw.


	12. Chapter 12

CH12

Kayo had no time to register the searing pain now running up from her hand travelling to her shoulder as her nerves conspired in the aftermath of the drugs to send heightened signals to her brain. Catherine had immediately fought back in the confined space of the cock-pit kicking out with her legs to push Kayo back onto the controls, Kayo realised she had underestimated her and she would not go to ground so easily. Kayo pushed back with her arms to gain purchase and swung a kick at Catherine's ribs and shoulder taking the wind right out of her and left her stunned after a second right hook which left Kayo shaking her hand furiously. Catherine scrabbled around making a grab for the syringe and tried to swipe it at Kayo in a stabbing motion leaving Kayo no option but to make a dash for it moving the fight to an open space. The adrenalin had kicked in focusing her, bringing her back to a state she recognised she was starting to fancy her chances against the injured Catherine. A little more space was all she needed to ensure that she could kick the needle out of her hand before taking the revenge she desired. She would have very much liked to continue their encounter there and then, running was not in her nature but she needed to get the hell off the plane before she got a lucky shot and game over. Releasing the door controls to make her exit and she settled on her plan, she would come back once the threat was terminated, taking her chances in the air before the agent came to pick her up.

Catherine was now up and stumbling after her, Kayo slid down the arm rails on the steps landing hard onto the ground, she stumbled as she landed then regained her balance making a run for it behind the hanger. With only seconds to grab her makeshift weapon of choice she grabbed a piece of wood used for securing the personnel door at the back of the hanger and she waited for her opponent to come close enough to use it. The only light came from the night sky itself so she took her safety within the shadows keeping herself flat to the rear wall of the hanger, she could hear her running after her. Catherine's breathing was laboured and raspy allowing her to judge the distance and she hoped she had some serious damage to the girl's ribs. This was her one chance and she needed to take her out of the game completely. The sound of the heavy breaths came closer, she was near to rounding the back of the building, Kayo took her chance jumped out and smacked Catherine around the head grabbing the syringe that had fallen to the ground.

"Just a little of your own medicine." Kayo announced smugly as Catherine's eyes closed

The effort left her shaking but she didn't have long to celebrate her victory or even take in the situation she found herself in, her next problem was the agents in the vehicle she could now hear approaching. With her vision now fully adjusted to the limited light she took in what she could see and headed for some scrub to give her a little protection, she did not want to create too much movement to draw any attention to herself. She stayed close to the hanger, hiding in dense shrubs which tore at her shirt scratching the skin beneath; she bit her lip to stop from exclaiming out loud and stayed as still as she could in her uncomfortable surroundings. The choice she had made was not ideal but she would have to wait it out in her hiding place until there was a little more light, hopefully no company and she could risk a little reconnaissance. Instinctively she slowed her breathing as she saw two men get out of the vehicle and go over to the plane. From her vantage point she had a good view of the agents, the plane and the corner of the hanger where she had knocked Catherine to the ground now she had the car lights lighting the arena.

Her heart pounded in her ears and a desire to run rose up which she battled to suppress, any movement now would only give away her position. She focused on the plane, willing them to leave, crouching low she watched the two men approach the prostrate form of Catherine their flashlights haphazardly scanning the surrounding areas. One of them went to Catherine and lifted her over his shoulder dumping her violently into the vehicle.

"Check the hanger there should be two of them." he shouted to the other. "I'll take this one back to the boss, he's desperate to be acquainted with her, disable the plane the other won't get far. I'll drop her and return for you at first light, find her he will not be happy."

He sped away with Catherine leaving the other agent to carry out his orders.

Kayo's hopes of taking the plane were soon dashed as she heard the small explosion and Tracy One was brought nose down hard on the ground. Still they didn't have her yet and her heart was pounding now for very different reasons. They didn't seem to know which of the girls they had for sure and she now liked the odds of a little time, the safety of the night and one to one combat, this was something she could comfortably deal with.

Kayo watched and waited until the agent walked away from the plane towards the hanger, once he was lost from view she left her hiding place and ran back to the personnel door. As she slipped in through back she guessed 10 minutes had already elapsed so she would need to despatch him quickly to stand any chance of getting a little distance between her and the other assailant. She had him pinpointed; he was using the flashlight walking around the perimeter on the far side and flicking the occasional a beam of light into the centre and around the opposite side of the space. He was not a large man but she could take nothing for granted, an opponent's size was no indication of an easy win in any fight, surprise would be her greatest ally so she moved very little keeping behind a pillar and waited for him to come to her. When she attacked it was swift and decisive he had little time to respond as she gave him a short slide kick to the side of the head and before giving him time to recover she kicked out again then followed with a punch to the side of the head. It was over very quickly, he was now unconscious, she dragged him to the main door and left him under the plane's unrecognisable cockpit in the hope it wold look like he'd been caught in the explosion.

She could see there was very little the plane could do for her now but she allowed herself 5 more minutes to look for supplies, she took the medical bag, emptied out unnecessary items and added a thermal blanket, flare, flashlight, water and nutri-bars. Taking a moment she downed the glorious refreshment of a bottle of water and used another to pour over her head in delayed response to the need she had felt on the journey. She headed back to the door and before exiting used the small amount of additional height to get some idea of the terrain around her. She saw an intermittent light in the distance meaning she was near a coast of some sort; she got the impression of an expanse of water close to the runway that may be a lake or inlet. It was still dark although the sky was lightening a touch, so until the first full rays of sun passed the horizon it was all guesswork. Time was still on her side there was no noise indicating a vehicle approaching as yet but she had to make a decision and fast. She headed away from the lake to a rise in the ground and gazed in the direction of the lighthouse, few were manned these days but there may be a radio instead of caretaker who was reliant on personal comms, there was a chance and she was going to take it.

The agent did not return as quickly as she had supposed, she wondered if he was getting a dressing down for bringing in the wrong target, she would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that discussion. Setting off she walked for a while in the open on the flat ground before it became an uneven a series of dips and hollows, she dropped down still with eyes on the end of the runway and the service road the car had travelled up, nothing yet. She guessed the lighthouse was about 1.5km away but it was hidden now as the ground rose further. The first glimpse of light was now visible kissing the edges of the skyline, she would soon need cover and she had not seen anything so far likely to give it.

….

The Mechanic was making the final arrangements for destruction of The Hoods Australian base when he heard the agent return. His plans were now almost complete but with the additional GDF activity around Perth he needed to move the whole operation to Europe earlier than he had originally deemed necessary. He needed to protect the work he had done on the drones and ensure that they were not compromised before he could orchestrate the return of The Hood to the head of the new order and for now he would secure his no 2 status by bringing him his niece. Control of the whole enterprise could wait while he had these resources at his disposal, the attempted overthrow he had recently been considering, would be decisive and swift but he was not yet ready. The large craft was now prepared and they would leave by nightfall, he turned to greet his new guest.

"Miss Kyrano your uncle will be pleased to see you." he stopped in his tracks looking at the prostrate form of Catherine being carried in by the agent.

"The other girl where is she." He barked.

The agent looked at him realising that the quarry he had chosen to take with him may just have been his most costly mistake.

"I am going back for her, the plane has been destroyed and agent 25 will ensure that she is found swiftly, she cannot have gone far on this Island."

The Mechanic looked at him, he was aware of the small audience of technicians and agents who had been tasked with ensuring that no technology or trace would be left behind when they left who were now looking at the exchange with interest.

"Your contract is terminated." he released a small mechanical spider onto his body which injected a lethal dose into his neck.

He addressed the room "The girl is to be found immediately, launch shuttle one, bring her to me, failure will not be tolerated. We leave at 20:00hrs and if you wish to relocate with us then I suggest you do not let me down."

He looked at the unconscious girl that had so very nearly pulled off the kidnapping of a member of International Rescue in their own back yard, a reprieve was not really his style but she may yet be of use to him.

"Put her with the other prisoner and track the shuttle, I want to know the minute her heat signature is found and I want her alive."

….

Alan returned to Thunderbird Three with John at his side wishing he could send Scott to the owners of the satellites, sure that one visit from him and they would have permission to install the software on any god damn thing they liked. John pulled him into a bear hug that Virgil would have been proud of.

"We got this little brother, it will take time but this will work. Good luck Al and keep me updated after every drop."

F-A-B

Alan took his seat and commenced his pre-launch checks before disengaging Thunderbird Three and heading out to his first station, hoping that the install would not be in vain once the system tests were complete.

John hung around the docking bay to greet his unexpected visitor, the Colonel's additional resources were more than he could have expected from her. The test signal now looked possible within twelve hours if the relay came online and from what he understood of Brain's theory he was convinced it would work.

Captain Ridley O'Bannon of Global One thought she was in heaven when stepping aboard Thunderbird Five it was years ahead of anything she had ever had the pleasure of serving on in her four years on rotation in space. In other circumstances she would have persuaded her host for a grand tour but the Colonel had been clear that time was of the essence and she was keen to complete an install to Global One and all GDF space monitoring and defence positions as quickly as possible.

"Thank you Captain O'Bannon, International Rescue appreciate your assistance, you are saving us valuable time."

"You are very welcome and call me Ridley."

"John"

"Well John, hand it over, as you say time is not on your side, you can buy me a beer groundside once we get her home" John smiled positive thinking was just what he needed and he appreciated the sentiment.

"Let me introduce you to Brains he's in the communications centre, he will talk you through the install procedure and escort you back to your shuttle. Contact me when they are ready to bring on-line and I will confirm when all are communicating with Thunderbird Five. We can then take a shot at pulsing the first signals to the test receiver and then move focus to Perth."

"Narrow search area John it's a big world down there. What are the chances of picking up rogue signals? Maybe we could just a send continual signal from each as well as boosting your precise pulse, we will hit the target but also pick something up if we are wrong about the location."

John looked at Ridley and then Brains "Do you know the stats, how much is this technology still used?"

"G…give me a few hours to work with the c…concentrated area C…captain it's still very much in the d…development phase and then I may r…risk the r…red herrings."

"Understood. Good luck. Please either of you contact me anytime."

"Thank you Captain we appreciate it."

…

Virgil dropped off his passengers kissing Penelope on the cheek and reassuring her about his confidence in the outcome. He sensed there was something she was holding back, a fear still gripped her while the others held on to an optimism that had not seemed possible a few hours earlier. Penelope smiled at him and embraced him hoping his empathetic nature could not read her like an open book, time was not in their side, in fact she was now certain Kayo would not only be facing a threat from Catherine she would be in the hands of the person making the orders. She watched the large green craft rise into the sky hoping her gut instinct was wrong and the next time she saw her she would be transporting her friend home.

She made her way to Parkmoor with Parker in FAB 1 after meeting with a contact that had been investigating the life of Catherine McCarthy. The girl was an enigma, she had no friends, her family had not seen her for years and she did not seem to have any life outside her job at FlyCargo. She was the perfect quarry of recruiters for the secret service and she couldn't help wondering if she had already been recruited into a shady underworld that had brought her to the attention of The Hood.

"Parkmoor M'Lady, shall I haccompany you to the cell."

The interview would not take long, he would not give anything up she knew that but she needed confirmation that he was involved to ascertain who they were up against.

"Thank you Parker that will not be necessary, please keep the engine running I will not be long."

Penelope crossed the bridge to the solitary cell in the middle of the prison escorted by two armed guards. Her heart was pounding in her ears and chest, her head was starting to spin with exhaustion but she refused to let any emotion show on the outside.

"Please wait outside." She instructed.

They stood either side of the door as she entered. Then with perfect and poised posture she walked in confidently making eye contact with him straight away.

"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, two visits within a month to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure, have you brought my niece again to have a good look at her hard work?"

"You know very well, you have your niece in the custody of your agents, a Catherine McCarthy I believe, I am here to talk to you about it." Penelope responded.

For a second his face betrayed the fact that this news surprised him, just for the briefest of moments before he recovered himself and she knew for certain that they were dealing with someone new.

"You seemed a little surprised at my news."

"Not at all Lady Penelope. You know I have always been keen on getting the family back together, you will find her working for me before too long. Now if you will excuse me your visit is over."

Penelope returned to FAB 1, she caught Parker's eyes in the rear view mirror "Parker take us to our rendezvous point I need to get back to the Island."

"Yes M'Lady."

She took out her compact and contacted the prison warden "Could you confirm his reaction when I left."

"Yes Lady Penelope he trashed his cell, completely lost it, what on earth did you say to him in there?"

"I was just catching up with him about family, thank you for your assistance."


	13. Chapter 13

CH 13

Having lost sight of the road Kayo wasn't sure from where the threat was likely to come from but she was certain it was on its way. With everything that had happened since she had been taken indicating that whoever was working for her uncle had all his resources at his disposal her nerves were frayed and her usual composure left her to be replaced by doubt. Every sense she possessed was heightened to the perception of danger but she was in two minds about walking cross country or trying to walk parallel to the road but staying out of sight. An unfamiliar noise breaking the silence around her was the first thing to highlight that the threat was imminent. It wasn't the familiar sound of a car that she was expecting; it was the sound of a jet engine that stopped her momentarily in her tracks. She instinctively dropped to the floor and what appeared from the opposite direction heading towards the airfield was a shuttle type craft she had seen nothing like before. She didn't know what sort of tech was on board and was starting to imagine thermal imagining and weapons systems. On impulse she reached for the blanket placing it over her head to blur her heat signature hoping to make her shape appear small and insignificant to anybody looking for her from the air.

Certain that the shuttle would start doing sweeps of the airfield and its surrounding areas within minutes she rose and increased her pace. The ground was getting boggy and from the sound of the birds she could hear she was still close to a body of water of some sort. Turning to look over her shoulder she saw the craft land at the airfield, she knew it wouldn't stay there long; her instinct was to run putting as much distance as she could before the craft was in the sky again. She ran as fast as she could carrying the cumbersome bag not willing to ditch any of the items she had taken from the plane and fought to resist the incessant urge to keep looking over her shoulder. Her only concern for the moment had to be the ground immediately front of her and her need to make it to the lighthouse. The first rays of sun were now bathing the terrain in front of her so she had lost her guiding light but knew she was heading in an easterly direction and that was the direction of her only chance.

With the increased light she was managing to dodge some of the harder terrain zigzagging round boggy parts and avoiding small holes in the ground, she guessed she had put at least a kilometre between her and the airfield when she heard the sound of the engines again. She carried on running increasing her stride, her body now aching and lungs rebelling against the exertion her body was in no fit state for. Determination gripped her and pushed her forward, she would not stop until it caught up with her, she couldn't see it yet but that did not mean they couldn't see her. The ground rose in front of her and she continued until she could go no further coming to an abrupt halt at a cliff edge stretching at least a half a kilometre in each direction, the lighthouse her destination was on an high outcrop of rocks to the left. Time had run out and she needed cover, she did not have the option of looking for a gradual path down, only one direction now she thought, she would have to risk going over. Panic was starting to set in, the thought of being captured again and lost to the world she knew brought bile into her throat, the events of the last few hours were catching up with her but this was no time to give in.

Looking over the edge she was relieved to see it was only about 10 metres drop, a lot better than she had imagined when she had first reached the edge. It was not a sheer drop either, plenty of rocks to climb down, she needed refuge fast and there was no time to overthink the situation. Dropping the bag down first she started her climb down, trying desperately to find arm and foot holds in the rock in an unnatural descent. The aircraft had not made it directly overhead yet she could hear it getting nearer and then the sound faded again, she knew it was circling the airfield and moving out but she also knew she didn't have long. Her escape route was precarious, sharp rocks cut her through her clothes and she could feel the blood tricking down her arms and legs where she struggled against the rock face.

She had less than a metre to go when she heard the craft louder than ever, it would pass over her shortly so she dropped into the shallow water. Grabbing the bag she headed to the relative safety of a large overhang a short distance away, she hugged the cliff face close, squeezed as far as she could into a crevice and not knowing why held her breath. The craft passed overhead heading out to sea made a turn to the left of her and flew over the lighthouse and disappeared. She breathed again, it was time to find a safer place to rest and she desperately needed to rest, her legs and arms were burning inside and out and she needed to catch a break to gather her thoughts. She edged along the bottom of the cliffs heading towards the lighthouse not wanting to risk the open but eager to find a safer spot, the closer she got and she could see an opening in the rocks well below it. She settled on her choice, with little other cover available and the drone of the engines indicating the search was not over she lifted her bag into the narrow opening of the cave.

Settling on a ledge at the back for her makeshift respite she played over and over how the hell she had managed to find herself in this situation. There was one thing she felt certain of, the buck stopped with her and she would deserve every word of anger and disappointment that was heading her way in the chewing out she would receive from Scott, Head of Security seemed some sort of ironic joke. The only small mercy she felt was that it was her in this situation and not one of the others, any of them and she would never have forgiven herself. Her thoughts turned to home and the aftermath left behind, Virgil and his liking for the bitch that had taken her, the others as they woke to discover them both gone and most of all Scott, she ached for Scott his anger preferable than the thought of being without him. She rubbed her wrist where the red welts from the rope burns replaced the position where her comms bracelet should sit regretting her decision to put off Brains and his experiment that afternoon for her first official date with Scott. She lay her head on the bag and allowed herself to drift back to the warmth of the afternoon sun on the Island, to a place where she and Scott spent a relaxed afternoon talking, laughing and truly enjoying time and space together in a new and exciting era defining their relationship. She closed her eyes and rested for the first time since she had woken on the plane, a few minutes and she felt sure would regain the strength to find her way back them.

…

Virgil's contact to Scott confirming that he was on his way back woke him from a few minutes of uneasy sleep. For Scott the fact that Virgil would soon be joining him lifted his spirits, he was grateful for the small comfort of the best company he could hope for. He needed someone with him, the night had been long and was not over, natural light had not yet broken through the windows of the office. Being on his own in the depths of despair just as he had been in the few weeks after his father had gone missing when restful sleep would not come and he had spent his nights sat in his office waiting for him to return was not good for him, the temptation of the scotch had only just been stayed. The feelings stirring inside were the same, loss the gaping chasm that a person leaves in your life when they no longer play any part in it. He pushed it to the back of his mind, he felt sure she was close but time was ticking by and John still had not confirmed her location. He could tell by John's voice that his regular demands for updates were serving only to irritate him while he tried to find a solution with Brains but he was unable to let any half hour go by without contact with Thunderbirds Five.

Virgil found him his head supported by his folded arms on the desk with a half measure of scotch in front of him and Kayo's comms bracelet in his hand which he still gripped like his life depended on it. His heart ached for him, when Scott was lost it was hard to take. They all relied on him, needed him to be in control but he knew that on the few occasions when Scott couldn't be he would be there to pick up the pieces and he would always do it because he loved the very essence of the broken man before him.

Scott raised his head to meet him and noted the look of concern in his brother's eyes.

"It's OK Virg it's my second, I've been nursing it all night and I don't intend to finish it."

"Scott you look done in, have you slept?"

"A little, got the headache from hell."

Scott rose walking around the desk, the physical barrier no longer needed and he allowed himself to be wrapped in the strong arms of his brother. The comfort in each other they both craved allowed the tears to flow releasing the tension and reforming their strong bond without the need to put into words everything they needed to say and unsay.

"Time to sleep, come on." Virgil's voice was soothing and Scott relaxed just having him close alleviated the tension that had been constant in his body since his arrival.

Virgil steered Scott to the sofa placing his head on his lap and massaged his temples hoping that sleep would come to them both. He knew they would need every ounce of physical and mental strength they had once John confirmed the location and that sleep deprivation would only serve to make them sabotage their own efforts. Once Scott's breathing indicated he had fallen asleep Virgil closed his eyes stroking his brothers hair and allowed sleep to claim him. When Scott woke he was in the safe arms of his brother, a place of security and strength and he knew for Kayo's sake that last night when he felt weak and desperate would not happen again his own strength and resolve for a positive conclusion had returned and today would be the day they would bring her home.

He looked up to meet Virgil's eyes which were staring intently at him "You should have woken me."

"It looked like it would be better to let you sleep unless there was any news, you've only been asleep a couple of hours."

Scott looked at him his next question already answered; he hung his head a little to hide the disappointment he was sure was apparent on his features, Virgil pulled him into a hug.

"Still early days on the install, let's get some food inside you, we have to look after the basics and we need to keep our strength up."

"I can't Virg, I'll vomit"

"Well let's get some food inside me, I've not eaten since dinner last night and I am absolutely starving." He smiled at him hoping Scott would hear the light-heartedness in his voice but realise the importance of what he was saying "Scott look at me….we can't help yet and there's vending machine in the lobby, we don't have to go out but you do need to look after yourself, let's start with coffee and maybe a cookie it'll be a nice change to have one without charcoal edges."

"I think I could manage a caffeine injection." Scott smiled in return and for the first time realised that he hadn't once asked Virgil how he was feeling. His heart had been left on the line and he hadn't thought to ask him once about how he was.

"Virg, you Ok?"

Virgil looked at him comprehending the meaning behind the innocuous question.

"You can't miss what you never had, I didn't know her. I had an image of her she allowed me to see; there was no reality in my feelings. Scott I assure you I am fine. Now let's go get something to eat and I won't take no for an answer"

The void they had to fill was time, the waiting game was still being played out but they were participating together, supporting each other knowing full well that when the call came through they would act together. They would do what they had done a thousand times before and re-unite a person that needed their help with their loved ones only this time it was one of their own.

…..

Alan had circumnavigated the earth completing the drop off at the last International Space station when he received the trajectories of two weather satellites from John. He was relieved his part was not done, every minute in Thunderbird Three felt like he was contributing, feelings of tiredness he could put to one side while he completed his current mission. He did not want to set foot back on the Island until John had confirmed the relay was in place and the signal was being pulsed, he desperately needed to be doing something his fear was to be sent back to Island and still be forced to wait.

"Thunderbird Five, I'm EVA and ready for the install on FIS 10, talk me through it"

"Alan access the main control panels situated under the sail, load into the main port and check the power amplifier and reset the frequency mixer, I'll confirm we're communicating and then move onto the next."

F-A-B

"Completed, we talking to Five."

"EOS receives you loud and clear. I've sent the next trajectory to Three and then we have further permissions for installs on telecommunication satellites, could be a long night."

"John it's always night up here, just send me the data."

"You got it Al, you're doing a great job." Alan smiled behind his helmet it was a little thing but those few words from John meant the world to him.

…..

For Penelope the return trip was frustrating its length almost doubled from that on the way out, she tried to sleep but she couldn't switch off. The only update she received on the installs only confirmed that they were still work in progress and that Brains was still working on the modification on Five to deal with such outdated technology. She looked likely to return without the confirmation she was looking for and this thought was preventing her from drifting into the sleep she so desperately needed.

When Penelope and Parker returned to the Island it was quite, Grandma and Gordon were both sitting in the circle waiting for news, the grey shadows under their eyes highlighted by their unusually white pallor betraying their lack of sleep and the stress that was coursing through them. Before insisting on the latest update Penelope wrapped Grandma in a hug, suggesting that she get a little rest once they had held the conference call with the rest of the Tracy clan. The four took seats in the centre of the room and the holograms of those off the Island sprang to life one by one, only Kayo's was conspicuously inactive. It had been eight hours since they were all last in the room in one form or another and although each knew a little about the progress of each other's separate missions Penelope thought it would be a good idea to get a full update.

She saw that Scott and Virgil were in no position to add much in fact Scott looked like he would benefit from sticking his head in a bucket of water. Not one person in the room mentioned anything about his looks or asked him how he was, the best course of action was to hold the briefing and let him process any new information.

John went first his updates were the ones that they all waited for "The International Space stations and six of the eight of the GDF facilities are ready."

Brains added "C…Captain O'Bannon is expected to c…complete the last two within the hour, I am making progress and will c…commence the test signal once Alan has finished his installs."

Alan took his turn he "The install is complete on Fischler's weather satellites, I still have to load onto three telecommunication satellites, all should be loaded ready to join the relay in two or maybe three hours."

"How far off are we on pulsing the signal to Perth." Scott asked coming round to the possibility of some optimism.

John looked at him, grateful that he could sense new hope in him "We are getting there, we should have a good relay when all on line. I'll manoeuvre overhead in Five once we have tested output to the receiver on the Island. I may not need to once EOS calculates the data, we should have close to full coverage of Perth from the signals pulsed down from one of the weather satellites and GDFDS - Delta once we activate. The signs look good EOS is confident that this should work, it may intermittently drop out but Brains is making improvements and when ready the signal should be strong."

Penelope told them about her very brief visit to see The Hood and how she was sure he was not aware of or orchestrating the action to take Kayo. They had to consider a new threat which left them in the worst possible position; an unknown quantity was something she was extremely uncomfortable with. Now they were all waiting now to see if Brain's improved old world technology would work with a little boost from EOS on Five and the help of relay of satellites. The waiting game was worse for those inactive, the four on Tracy Island and the two brothers in Perth.

Only now did Grandma allow herself time to rest, Parker escorted her to her room promising to wake her if he heard any more from John. He wanted to give Penelope a little space with Gordon, it would not normally be granted so freely but the woman he had donated his life to look after needed something he was unable to give. So he made his way to the hanger to check that all weapons systems on FAB1 were in full working order. He had a feeling that they may be glad of her capabilities if they got the signal they were hoping for and it provided him a much needed distraction.

Alone with Gordon in the main room Penelope allowed herself a briefest of moments where the tears could come, she needed the release from the exhaustion and adrenalin but would not show such weakness in company. It was always with Gordon when she let her guard down, he wrapped his arms around her, sat her down and held her just like he did before in England his strong arms doing what needed to be done. The tears were momentary but exactly what she needed as her body relaxed into him and she regained her composure.

"Now we wait." She said.

She now truly understood just how hard it had been for Scott, Gordon and Grandma not being able to feel they were doing anything to distract them and now it was her turn.

"Two, maybe Three Hours and we should know." Gordon soothed stroking her hair planting a reassuring kiss on her forehead.

"It will feel like a lifetime." Penny complained.

"Shhh, honey, close your eyes, you look exhausted."

"Not a good look, I suppose."

"Penny you will always look beautiful to me, I love you. Let me look after you for once. Now be a good girl and close your eyes."

"Girl?"

He smiled at her relishing the playfulness in her tone "Yes, my girl. Unless you are going to tell me I am mistaken."

Smiling at him she rested her head on his chest allowing him to pull her closer, she closed her eyes succumbing to the security his arms presented and the fatigue that overpowered her body.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch14

 _Scott smiled at her, a smile accompanied by blue eyes that captured her, took her breath away and melted her heart in one brief gaze. She froze for a moment while she processed the meaning behind the look, the smile, the safety he presented. Tentatively she walked towards him smiling too, ready to fall into his arms, trusting the meaning in his look and anticipating the kiss with no words spoken. Shadows crept in surrounding the edges of her peripheral vision, her blood ran cold, fear gripped her as Scott seemed oblivious to the danger the looming darkness presented, she saw a dark figure behind him, she tried to scream but no sound came out, she tried to move but she was pushed back by a force she couldn't see. Catherine and Virgil appeared laughing with her uncle encouraging the dark figure as he took hold of Scott's windpipe and pressed down, the figure turned to look at her … Alan! Again she tried to scream, tried to fight but she couldn't move she felt like she was sinking, drowning in grief and then the water engulfed her like a tidal wave and she could not breathe …._

Kayo woke yelling his name with sweat dripping down her face and seawater rising around her legs; it took a few moments for her to remember where she was and what had brought her here. Fear gripped her, the fear within the nightmare that was slowly dissipating now turning into the fear of the reality that was slowly presenting itself to her. She had no idea of how long she had been asleep, her need to find a safe place had been all consuming in her exhausted state and she now regretted the lack of her usual clarity as she had not calculated for the tide. She instantly felt trapped again, certain of capture now she had no option but to go back into the open, there would be only a little time left if she stayed here before the water engulfed her and she would drown without notice to the outside world. Still before she was prepared to swim out of the entrance of the cave she decided to take a look to make sure that there were no more options open to her, the risk of being captured by her uncle never to return to the family that she loved more than anything was worth chancing a couple of minutes. Fighting the desperation and in a last ditch attempt to stay from sight she took the flashlight to scout round the small cave checking every crevice. It rose steeply at the back and she saw the evidence that at high tide this place would be near to filled with water. Then she saw it, a narrow ray of sunlight breaking through like a beacon of hope indicating a small opening leading up through the rock. She had found a narrow, vertical passageway through the rocks leading up to the base of the lighthouse, making her way through she stopped at the opening listening for the sound of the aircraft before she was prepared to risk the open again, if it was out there it was masked by the sound of the incoming tide crashing against the rocks and the danger was hidden.

With no other option but to risk showing her position to whoever was looking for her, she took a deep breath and wriggled through to the ground side opening pushing her bag out before her. The rock tore through the flesh on her cheek and upper arm as she broke through to the blinding daylight causing her eyes to water and her to cry out in pain. Once free she ran to the door turned the latch and to her relief the door gave way, once inside and with the door shut behind her she slid to the ground shaking. Twice she tried to raise herself before her legs could take her weight; whilst immobile her gaze took in every detail of the circular room where the only light entered through two small windows. It was a basic kitchenette, two rings, sink, table with two chairs and several cupboards. Once a semblance of strength and resolve had returned she frantically checked every door looking for signs of a radio, her heart sank, there were emergency food rations, basic medical supplies but nothing else of use to her. She didn't stop to take in the disappointment, her brain and body both returned to its naturally defiant state, there was no time to give up or rest she had to use the height now at her disposal to take a good look at where she was and see if she could see the small craft still searching for her. She turned her attention to the dark winding stairs, only three windows on the climb gave any natural light and none of them provided a decent view of her surroundings. The climb was hard, she was still bleeding and recent events were now taking their toll, she collapsed at the top which had become her finish line. Everything she did now was defined in small victories or massive defeat and although she knew in reality she was only just starting, she counted getting to the lamp room and obtaining her first views of where she was as one of the victories.

She took some time sat at the top of the stairway to catch her breath and drink some water which allowed her a moment to consider her limited options; she struggled to her feet and walked around the large lamp at the top. This provided a panoramic view of ocean and an Island about 3km in length and width almost diamond in shape, with a hint on the horizon to the east of a vast expanse of land. The knowledge she was on an Island quelled the small victory as hopelessness of an easy escape disappeared, an Island normally represented safety from the outside world which was now all she needed for protection. As she rounded the last 90 degree view to the south she saw the shuttle making passes at the furthest point south west of her position. She watched it criss-cross back across the Island making the journey back up to the airfield covering every inch from coast to coast, as it grew nearer she automatically dropped down the stairwell anticipating it's flight over head. Once it had passed over her she continued to watch, wanting now to know where it would land. The shuttle continued crossing the Island past the end of the airfield covering every inch of ground and then it turned out to sea and disappeared into the cliffs the north end of the Island she estimated not much more than 1km from her.

Now the craft presented no immediate threat she took another turn around the glass vantage point, she looked to the skies hopefully, desperately wishing to see the forms of Thunderbird One or Two coming to take her home. Her hopes soon disappeared as she completed her rotation there would be no quick fix and if she was going to make it back she would need to consider her options carefully. There was no point in activating the fog horn with no one to hear it but the people looking for her, she wouldn't get enough distance between herself and the lighthouse before the craft would come looking for her.

Against all her natural instincts and in her fragile emotional state, putting to one side the risk that if captured she would never make it home she was going to give herself a chance. She had decided to take things into her own hands head north and go after the shuttle, she didn't like long shots but this seemed to be her only hope of getting off the island and to the grey strip of land in the distance she was hoping was her salvation.

…

Parker returned from the hanger feeling a like an intruder on Penelope and Gordon and their stolen moment together. He did not want to sit down and cause her unnecessary embarrassment, so he reverted to looking after her, his butler mode kicked in to stop him from feeling so redundant and he headed to the kitchen.

Gordon shifted slightly waking Penelope from her short respite, he watched her eyes flicker and she sprang to a seated position in anticipation of news she had been waiting to hear. Gordon shook his head and pulled a strand of hair out of her eyes, tucked it behind her ear and kissed her cheek.

"Cup of tea M'lady….Gordon?" Parker suggested allowing her time to move a little away from Gordon and find a less vulnerable pose.

"Yes Parker, that would be wonderful." Penelope replied grateful to him that he had given her some time to revert to the proper status quo.

They sat in silence, clasping hot drinks waiting for something to change; the first member of the family to report back to Tracy Island was Alan who sounded exhausted and defeated.

"On my way home, we have received no further offers of help, who'd have thought that it would be Fischler that would come to our aid." He smiled a little hoping Gordon would take the bait for a humorous response to relieve him from the pressure he was feeling, something that would bring some sort of normality back to his life and was disappointed when none was forthcoming.

"Just come home little brother, there's nothing else to be done for now." There was no light in Gordon, no spirited response; he was just drained of life and waiting for news like everyone else.

As Thunderbird 3 returned home Gordon raced down to greet Alan in the hanger wrapping his arms tightly around him as soon as Alan's feet touched the ground.

"Time to sleep little brother you've been out there for a long time, take some down time and I'll wake you when we have some news."

Alan started to protest but his body connived against him and he collapsed into the arms of his brother. Gordon steadied him and led his exhausted brother to the sofa opposite Penelope and Parker wrapping him in a blanket and resting his head on his legs.

Penelope gave Gordon a smile. "You too Gordon, close your eyes and try to rest it won't be long before we know now."

Gordon didn't argue, he rested his head back and grabbed some much needed respite. Within minutes John's hologram sprang to life. Parker immediately rose to get Grandma aware of his promise to her. Gordon gave Alan a nudge to wake him from the few minutes of sleep he had managed and so desperately needed. They were now all back in the main room in body or holographic form and they waited with baited breath for John desperate for something to lift their spirits. It was not what they were hoping for just an update from Five indicating that although progress could be reported the news they were all holding their breaths waiting for was still evading them.

"The test receiver on the Island is talking to Five, the technology is viable. We're pulsing the signal to Perth but not picking anything up as yet." John's tone remained matter of fact, needing to keep this in a remit in which he was comfortable, refusing to acknowledge the emotional need behind the work he had been focused on without diversion for hours.

Scott holographic form thumped his hand down hard on the desk in front of him "It's taking too long, nine hours John, you've had close to nine god damn hours and we are no nearer to finding her." It was his dad all over again and he could not go through this a second time. Virgil placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

John's voice was unsteady, suffering from lack of sleep and shouldering the responsibility of the only chance they had and he was close to breaking point as the reality behind the search was brought home to him. "Scott we are gradually extending the search area along the 115 meridian north and south of her last known position, all stations and satellites are sending the signal. I will move Thunderbird Five into position along the west coast of Australia in an hour as it's still the most likely location. For now I need Brain's here there's still work to do, he'll need return to the Island before we re-position."

"Move now John, you are wasting time." The vehemence in Scott's tone had dissipated but his need for immediate action was clear.

A new face appeared trying to take the strain from the obviously struggling John "Ridley O'Bannon, Global One. We are recalculating sending a signal with wider coverage initially it won't be as strong but my new friend Brains is working on boosting it as much as possible and we cannot move until we have him on the ground, he's needed in the lab to work with the test receiver so we can trouble shoot our options."

This unexpected visitor to their conversation providing new intel stopped Scott in his tracks before he could manage his next outburst.

Brains thought it would be prudent to advise Scott how much the assistance the captain was giving "Ridley c…came back to Thunderbird Five, the C…colonel has reassigned her to us. P….progess would have been m…much slower without C…captain O'Bannon."

"Thank you Captain." Scott responded with little emotion to his voice.

It was Grandma now who took control, in her eyes her boys performed best when all together "Virgil come back and pick up your brothers, when we get her location you will all want to be out there to bring her home. I will be fine and I do not need babysitting."

Virgil looked at her marvelling at her strength, she had not once broken down in front of them and continued to put their needs before her own. He didn't want to say it out loud but he was worried about leaving Scott on his own, he was sure the close call with the scotch was a one off but he knew if they got a location and he wasn't there he would go on his own he would not wait for any assistance. It had happened before but this time when his sister's life was at stake and it was his fault he was not going to take any chances.

"Scott we are going in Two to pick up Gordon and Alan. No arguments, we will be back within the hour, I promise no hanging around." Virgil adopted a tone that was not asking his permission.

Scott turned to argue but it was pointless with everyone there knowing that Virgil knew best when it came to his reckless nature, he knew he would not get one person in the room to take his side in any argument that ensued.

"We pick them up and straight back. If we get a signal on route we go straight to the source no pick-up and no argument." That was his terms and no-one would argue with that.

"You too Penelope, I meant it when I said I didn't need babysitting, you and Parker take FAB1 to Perth we may have a fight on our hands to get her home." Penelope could have kissed her she had started to worry that she would be expected to remain behind.

She couldn't resist it "F-A-B….. Parker, please ready the car. We will need a head start and we will still arrive after the boys." This small detail alone was frustrating her now as relief washed over her that once again she had something to distract her from the incessant waiting around that had been enforced on them.

"Yes M'lady" He hurried off to the main hanger glad that he had taken the time to check her over earlier. Fully loaded with missiles that could be launched from land, sea and air and all sorts of little tricks he kept up his sleeve until he needed them to get them out of a tight spot. He loved it best in the thick of the action, all this inactivity in a crisis was foreign to him and he was relishing the chance to use his arsenal against the people that had caused his closest friend so much pain.

Gordon alone escorted Penelope down to the hanger holding her hand which was now normality unlike the first time in the tunnels when their touch had shocked, comforted and excited them both.

"See you on the other side." He grinned at her allowing a release now that he had some direct action to take and the most hope he had felt in the last few hours "and you owe me a re-match I was signed up for two nights!"

Penelope laughed grateful to have him back, smiling and joking the way that she loved him the best.

"I will promise you this Gordon Tracy when we get Kayo home I will stay for a week and we will be an official item, well to your family at least for now."

"You'd better get going then Penny, I will hold you to that."

He kissed her gently on the lips savouring the brief moment they had and watched her walk over to Parker and take their leave from Tracy Island.

Gordon raced out of the external door to the hanger and watched FAB1 take to the skies, he stood hypnotised as she grew further and further away from him. Reluctantly he tore his eyes away from the sky as the distant blip disappeared from view and he returned to Alan and Grandma in the main comms room safe in the knowledge that he too would soon be on his way to assist in the rescue of Kayo.

"Anything yet?" Both looked at him they didn't need to answer, he sat between them planted a kiss on his Grandma's cheek and pulled his brother into a hug.

"Not long now I am sure of it, both of you try to get some rest before they get here."

Scott and Virgil had taken the short trip to Garden Island in silence, not the awkward kind but both feeling slightly defeated, going home without Kayo seemed a betrayal to her. Less than half an hour later Virgil and Scott had landed in Two and performed the quickest turnaround she had ever experienced in her years of service with them, checks made and pods exchanged in less than 10 minutes. All of the brothers climbed back into the cockpit together ready to fight to get Kayo back as soon as they had the anticipated signal from Five.

"An hour tops maybe a little less." Alan stated hopefully "We should be close when he picks something up."

As Virgil commenced the pre-flight check and brought Thunderbird Two to life Gordon could not resist the normality.

"Thunderbirds are go."

Scott turned and smiled at him, a fresh optimism had returned now he was surrounded by his brothers and was returning to the place where they guessed Kayo had been taken. Once launched Virgil let out a great exhalation of breath relived that waiting game was nearly over he hadn't got over the feeling that this was entirely his fault but was now hopeful of a successful resolution. Guilt still riddled his being, he needed to see her, apologise to her, hold her in his arms and promise her he would never be so gullible again. Scott sensed this in him, looked at him desperately wanting to unsay all the things he had said to him when they had found she was gone, his own words still haunted him. He needed to buoy his brothers spirits, they were all together a tight unit and the best chance she had.

"Now let's all bring her home."

John's hologram joined them in the cockpit "We have worked to boost the signal over the wider spread area and all satellites are pulsing stronger signals. Brains has nearly completed up here, as soon as he returns I'll move overhead to a position north of Perth and we will have the maximum strength it's possible to get,"

Once the communication had ended he turned to Brains and Captain O'Bannon and the little colour he had drained from his face now he didn't have to keep up the pretence. For the crew on Five this was their only shot, he would move once and if nothing was picked up he would have to return to orbit. The signal would continue to be pulsed down but if Australia proved not to be where Kayo was it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. He knew better than anyone what the probability was of any of the satellites happening across the signal if they had been wrong about the target. All they had spent the last ten hours working on was totally reliant on her not being more than a few thousand kilometres from Tracy One's last point of contact when Five pulsed it's strengthened signal down. The longer he waited for something to be picked by the weaker pulses of the satellites overhead in Australia the more and more certain he was that re-positioning was futile and she was lost to them.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch15

Having made the decision to move from the shelter the lighthouse presented Kayo returned to the small room at the bottom of the stairs tended to her wounds, cleaning them, applying paper stitches and new skin patches to the deep cuts decorating her arms, legs and cheek. She could imagine that she would now be graced with a small scar on her cheekbone, another badge of honour to add to the others she had picked up over the years. Turning her attention to her other needs before she was prepared to leave and risk putting herself back on view to her captors she scouted the lighthouse for supplies. There was not much to show for her little excursion but she managed to make a cup of black, sugary coffee which had her gagging against it before her system settled and allowed the drink to boost her energy levels. Next she forced down some of the emergency rations she was sure she would be forgiven for taking under the circumstances. Now in the mode where the basic requirements her body needed had been met she washed her face and arms in cold tap water, refilled her bottle and prepared to leave. Out of the window above the sink she could see a little outhouse attached to the small kitchen, her natural curiosity got the better of her and determined to cover all options she left the kitchen door and took a look. What she saw in front of her made her laugh out loud.

"Oh my god Kayo you lucky girl you have a choice ….. talking to myself the first sign..." she chuckled again.

In front of her was a beautiful sight, Scuba gear, two dry suits, one wet suit and oxygen tanks, two full and one half empty all marked property of Murdoch University Marine Science Dept. Trying each suit to gage the best fit she started to think of a positive result making a mental note to make a donation to the university that may just be giving her the best chance yet. Reluctantly she reasoned that the bare essentials would be all she could carry on the journey from now on but it was a way of covering the kilometre to the area where she had seen the shuttle disappear from view as she watched it from the lamp room. She fashioned a small holdall from a thick black plastic bag and loaded it with a bottle of water and the nutri –bars, took the dry suit and one of the full tanks back into the kitchen.

She next busied herself in removing all evidence she had been there, dropping everything she had used into the medical bag from the plane which she placed down the opening in the ground leading to the cave. She changed into the dry suit and checked over the equipment, for the first time happy she would be doing something they wouldn't expect and that the ocean was the one place they would not be concentrating on looking for her. Taking a deep breath to calm the adrenalin that was building up in her system in anticipation of no longer being on the run and returning to a semblance of control, she took the equipment out to the rocks and completed the pre dive checks. She entered the water relishing the familiarity of a covert operation that brought the Kayo she knew back into positive frame of mind.

….

When the Shuttle returned without completing the mission he had set with an injured agent and one that did not bring him the news he was hoping for The Mechanic was furious. "I thought I was clear that failure will not be tolerated."

"There are no signs of life on the Island." He reported "Maybe she fell into the lake and drowned." He continued hopeful that this would be enough to pacify him.

"All buildings were checked for you to come to this conclusion; there are two lighthouses and several derelict buildings on the south-west coast. No signs of life?" He waited for the response, he knew what the answer was but he wanted to hear his voice tremble.

"I ... you didn't say to check the buildings." He was now visibly shaking expecting the certain wrath of his boss to come down on him full force.

"Imbecile!" He raged and smacked the agent across the head with the back of his lower arm. Now incensed he was losing agents at an alarming rate but this one left him with no other option than to punish his failure. "Your contract is terminated."

At his disposal in the Southern Hemisphere were two more of The Hoods agents, one of them out of action through injury and three technical supports workers, experts in IT systems, demolition and stealth technology, he could not afford to lose anymore finding the girl that had distracted him from the purpose he had been sent there for. He had to move and had to do it tonight but he hadn't given up hope of taking Kayo with them, the current undertaking came first he needed to set up his new operation in the Ffords as soon as possible and he needed them all.

"Bring her to me." He instructed his remaining agent.

He would give Catherine one final chance. If she succeeded in pulling his side-line off he may even recommend her for agent status. She was now his only hope for the success of something he had worked extremely hard to achieve. His diversion from the plan The Hood had entrusted him with had been costly in both time and money and he desperately needed something to show for his efforts. Catherine was brought in-front of him, she was visibly shaken still struggling to overcome the effects of the sedative and her imprisonment.

"Last chance Ms McCarthy, I will take you through the flight deck of the shuttle over there, your mission is to bring her in. You will scan the Island and check all buildings for Miss Kyrano do not fail me again I was not certain you would get a second chance."

Catherine was grateful that circumstances had dictated that she could still be of use, she did not want to become like the broken man in the cell who had obviously been incarcerated for some time or even worse a floating corpse in the Indian Ocean like the agent the others were disposing of over the cliff edge.

"I promise you that you will have her by the end of the day."

"19:00 hrs, no more or I will show you my drones are truly capable of."

Catherine took the shuttle out a little nervously, this experience of flying nothing she had ever encountered before. It was responsive to the slightest touch and although eager to get on with the job at hand she felt that a little flight practice may be sensible option. She did not want to squander her second chance by dying because she couldn't handle this bird. She took it out over the ocean on the north-west side of the Island to get used to the controls, turned, nose up and down. Happy that she had the basics and the feeling for the slight touches it needed on the controls she turned back towards the island and took in the lay of the land in front of her. She turned her bird south and settled on checking at lighthouse to the west then the small group of buildings on the south-west coast that were once used by seasonal fishermen before the fishing ban on the reef was enforced. Rather than assume Kayo had travelled far on foot she then decided to re-check the hanger and damaged plane before she planned on checking out the lighthouse on the east side of the Island.

A quick scout round each of the chosen targets to the south and west left her with nothing to show for her enterprise. She lifted off once more to the airfield where she found no clues left behind to confirm any direction her target had taken off in, all she knew was that the hanger and plane were eerily quiet and gave no sign she was ever there. Her hopes were pinned on the fact she must be taking shelter at her final port of call, the lighthouse on the east coast. She landed at the top of the small cliff above it and made her way down a small sand track to the outcrop of rock it was sitting on. The door was unlocked and she made her way inside, she checked the lower floor first then made her way up the winding stairs. Excitement built as she spotted the spots of blood on the last few stairs and a larger stain on the top step, _well she's alive_ she thought to herself smiling before entering the lamp room. She was looking forward to reacquainting herself with this problematic woman. She had hoped she was still in the lamp room and eagerly anticipated making her pay for the black eye, broken ribs, swollen cheekbone along with the embarrassment she had caused her. She looked at the stun gun in her hand that had her starting to feel very confident about another encounter. Having very nearly succeeded and then had her hopes dashed at the final hurdle she was going to make her pay before taking her back to the boss. She would enjoy kicking her arse first, she would not be humiliated again in front of him and she was determined to get some revenge before taking her in.

She was disappointed not to get an immediate opportunity for the confrontation she desired, but she would get her chance. The pool of blood had not completely dried so Kayo didn't have too much of a head start and the Island was small enough for her to cover again and again before her 19:00hr deadline. She had time, Kayo would be in the open somewhere and it wouldn't be too hard to find her with the technology at her disposal.

…..

Kayo found comfort in the familiar surroundings of the ocean doing something she had done hundreds of times before, she felt relief and she could have quite easily been back at the Island enjoying one of her favourite pass times with her annoying but witty younger brother. The thought of Gordon served only to remind her how much she missed them all and wanted desperately to be back with them, thoughts like these needed to remain buried deep until she had made her flight to freedom and could indulge them.

She had planned to make short dives and resurface near the coast at regular intervals to take breaks and orientate herself, she would hug the coastline as much as she could in deeper water until she made it to the northern cliffs. She knew diving alone was not advisable especially in her condition but it seemed less dangerous to her than travelling any distance over land. She just hoped the shuttle when it came wouldn't make any passes over the ocean. Still she would much rather die in the water taking a chance than take no risks and practically offer herself up to capture again. Her first leg was to dive across the bay from the lighthouse to a point jutting out into the ocean to the north at the end of the cliffs she had first encountered and climbed down an eternity ago.

The water was a truly freeing experience and as she relaxed she allowed herself to enjoy it, watching the marine animals go about their business completely oblivious to her. Small fish were darting about in the reef she was captivated by large manta's gliding by gracefully highlighted by a glorious canvas of colour. The tranquillity and beauty of the reef allowed her an escape from a fear that had been building and ever present since hearing her uncle's name over the comms on the plane.

When she made her first break to the surface she found that she had over shot the point she had been making for, diverted by her new environment and the fact that for the first time since she had left home she was actually untroubled and distracted enough to enjoy herself. It was hard not to stay in the safe arms of the ocean, the land that would normally represent safety after a dive now presented a danger she was not really ready to face. From her vantage point on the surface she could see both side of the headland back to the lighthouse and into another smaller bay. She swam back to the land intending to rest in the relative safety of the small cove when she heard the sound of the craft in the sky. She could not see it but she didn't want to if she could see it the chances were it would see her, having left the deeper water making a break back through the shallows seemed an unnecessary risk.

She got to the rocks and again found a hiding place half in the water under an overhang to sit it out before the craft was overhead. She was sure that she could not risk re-entering the water; her optimism waned now a threat was imminent. This small knock took its psychological toll and for a brief moment of weakness she allowed her thoughts to turn to Scott. She imagined the flash of silver in the sky, him descending from the cockpit to take her away from this nightmare and wrapping her in the safety of her arms. For the first time silent tears left her eyes as she felt helpless and alone with the fight nearly gone.

The change in sound from the engines of the shuttle pulled her round, she could still hear it but it now sounded like it was moving away from her. Kayo brushed the tears away frustrated that she had allowed them to fall and determined to pull herself together. She had no choice and was heading towards her captors but whatever happened she would never give up without a fight. She checked her apparatus again and once more entered the ocean aiming to swim across the cove to the next headland before re-surfacing to take another look.

…..

John escorted Brains to the space elevator in silence, the time for everything they had worked on to be tested was close and he was on edge. Once the elevator reached the Island, the cable was retracted and Five was free to move, everything pinned on one activation of the boosted pulse hitting its mark. John imagined the pain of telling his brothers they had no confirmation and their options of an immediate rescue were exhausted.

The cable retracted John made his preparations to move.

"Captain…. Thank-you for your help, but I cannot move with your shuttle docked. I will get you that beer I owe you when we get her signal." He offered her his hand trying to keep his comments light and not pass on his fears to the woman that had tirelessly helped them.

"Disengage the shuttle. I'll get the relief crew to pick her up." O'Bannon had issued him an order and John was temporarily stunned.

"…What?"

"You heard me I am coming with you. John you are not doing this alone."

"I think they may be expecting you to return to duty Captain."

"I doubt it …..I'm on leave. My rotation ended, I was taking the shuttle home which is why the Colonel got permission for my re-assignment. A serving officer on Global One would not have been granted a change in duty so freely."

"Leave?"

"Yes John I'm on leave. So are we going for a ride or what? There's a time for talk and a time for action and I think now is the time to put the thrusters in motion and go test the signal."

John smiled, company was one thing he rarely wanted aboard Thunderbird Five but on this occasion when the stakes were high it crossed his mind that it was exactly what he needed. Within minutes he had hit his mark and the countdown to the pulse began.

"EOS send the pulse."

"Sending the pulse John."

"A faint pulsed signal hit the edges of his holographic map before disappearing again."

John's elation at the hit disappeared as quickly as the feint green pulse he had seen for a fleeting moment

"EOS… what happened? We got a hit."

"John maybe a glitch or a drop –out on the relay, I'm resending the signal."

"EOS Pull any satellite photographs in the location of that signal in the last twelve hours, we are not just looking for Kayo there is a plane somewhere out there."

"Checking the archive now John." EOS confirmed as a faint green pulse sprang to life.

The mark stayed true on the map, John pulled Ridley into a hug as EOS scanned through satellite photographs and pulled one from three hours earlier showing a clear picture of Tracy One crashed on airfield.

"John we have her and the signal is not near the plane, she's survived impact." O'Bannon stated noting the absolute look of joy and relief etched into the face of her companion.

…

Thunderbird Two had just crossed over the Ayres Rock on its way back into Western Australia when they received the call they had all been hoping for.

John's smile when he appeared was enough to let them all know that this wasn't an update, they had a location.

"North Island … We have her signal on North Island, uninhabited to the north west of Geraldton."

Scott was first to respond it was a question he didn't want to ask but he had to know. "Can we tell if she is alive?"

John was happy to dispel a little of his brother's anxiety "It was static on the East side then the signal dropped out, it's just come back online and it has moved a few hundred metres to the North, it's not confirmation but its looking good." His holographic form portrayed a belief in his words and John's features displayed the widest grin they had ever seen "Scott bring her home."

"You can count on it. It will be my absolute pleasure." Scott responded as his stomach turned over processing the news he had spent hours longing for. Kayo would be coming home, he tried to supress the thoughts of their reunion that now played in his head but he couldn't help it. Within the hour she would be in his arms and probably protesting against the kisses he would be adorning her with in full view of his brothers. That thought transformed the smile into a grin to rival John's as the angst of the last few hours left to be replaced by his certainty of a future with Kayo.


	16. Chapter 16

Ch 16

The next time she entered the water Kayo suppressed all thoughts of her dives at home, barely looked at the aquatic life around her and started to think about what she may be faced with at the north end of the Island. She had nothing with her that would offer any help against any direct challenge; stealth would be her only ally. She hoped that she would at least get to her destination find somewhere to hide so she could check out the shuttle when it returned and try to work out a way of taking it without notice. She had done things like this on numerous occasions but never with-out the back up of technical support. The final act was to be played out with either the reunion she longed for or the outcome she feared most of all, lost in a world her uncle had created that no-one had ever broken free from and lived to tell the tale.

Now concentrating solely on her desire to escape she did not over shoot her position, she came up perfectly in line with the head land and heard the sound of the shuttle moving further away. She took in the sight of a large cliff face of about forty metres and could tell she had reached her destination. There was only ocean below it, the cliff face was sheer and she could not imagine away to climb up to the man-made horizontal opening she saw about ten meters from the top, which she now knew the shuttle had flown into when she had seen it disappear from the lighthouse. With no starting point on land, no ropes or shoes she could not make the climb up from directly below, her options were to ditch the diving equipment and climb barefoot up the rocks where she was or continue to swim across this bay to look for another easier point on the other side of the cliffs. She was sure there must be another entrance at the top as the larger craft carrying Tracy One could not have made it inside the opening on the cliff face. _Come on Kayo think_ … whatever decision she made she knew it would be her final chance, she would not have too long left before she was again faced with the sound of the shuttle directly over- head. She checked her Oxygen levels and knew it was probably for the last time she would be able to travel in the sanctuary of the water. She took to the ocean heading across the face of the cliff over to the point on the other side knowing that whatever she faced there she was entering the place she would have been taken to if she hadn't broken free from Catherine. The energy it had taken her to get here may all have been for nothing if she found herself bound and brought before whoever Catherine was working for. Her heart rate increased and fear rose causing her breathing to increase and her head to swim from the increased intake of air. Focusing on her goal she battled the panic, slowed her breathing and pictured Tracy Island, in a few hours she would be back home and she would allow her body to re-act then.

…

The Mechanic made ready to leave, the charges were in place, most of the equipment had been loaded and the technical support staff and agents were ready for his instructions. He had wanted to give Catherine time to bring the girl in but activity in Port Gregory had caught his attention and he would use the Thunderbirds as target practice if they got anywhere close. He needed to ensure that no trace would be left for the GDF and that he was ready to move at very short notice. He could not afford for his other ventures to be placed jeopardy by the girl, he would get away and relish taking her another time in the company of her uncle. His priority now was to protect his shuttles and its on-board technology, his army of drones and the prisoner in his charge.

"Contact the shuttle and advise her to return." He instructed one of the agents.

The agent responded unsure if the intelligence he had just received warranted a risk to his personal safety.

"She's found evidence of the girl at the lighthouse and she would like to follow it up, she's certain that it won't be long before she can bring her in."

"Remind her I give orders and do not make requests, she has ten minutes or I'll bring her in myself, not an option she will find to her liking."

Catherine was surprised by the order, she had no clue that their location had been compromised and was sorely tempted to push her luck. However it looked likely that she would be leaving with him, at some level on his workforce so there was nothing for it but to obey and hope that the failure to complete her task would have been forgiven. She made the turn from the southern coast passed over the lighthouse where she had found the evidence of her target out over the ocean and made her turn out heading north to return to the base.

…

The mood in Five and Two was almost jubilant, this was a rescue, they were now on familiar territory and it felt good. John stayed with them in holographic form not wanting to leave the company of his brothers.

"Brains is working on the bug in the lab, I may be able to activate the listening device once you get to the Island he will talk you through the frequencies once you are in range to pick anything up."

"We own him." Virgil responded relived that his sister had been found, he could now function again, his worst fear had not been realised and the burden he had been carrying lifted from his shoulders. He looked round the cabin seeing the smiles and relief in the others which brought a tear to his eye.

"We own them both the Captain and Brains have worked none stop on getting the relay online. John corrected him, his uninvited guest now considered an equal by him in the endeavours those off the planet had faced. "We may lose her signal for short intervals but each time it's returned it's moved.

Scott couldn't resist a look Virgil, John sharing a compliment about anyone was a very big deal and it seemed to him that when he talked about the Captain it was with an admiration that he had so far in his life failed to bestow on many people he actually knew. _Maybe he's met his match_ Scott thought, someone who could reach him on his level and actually talk to him without being made to look stupid.

"Anyone let Penelope in on the good news?" Alan enquired realising that she now seemed to be some sort of afterthought now they were all distracted by the news then had been hoping for.

"It's been a little busy up here." John answered slightly embarrassed by his lack of empathy to their friends need to share in their joy.

"I'll do it!" shouted Gordon.

Gordon contacted Penelope his relief to be able to give her good news was evident.

"Penny."

This alone got a wolf whistle from Alan who was bordering on doing an impression of an excitable puppy. Scott and Virgil laughed waiting for Gordon's response very sure that Alan would get a cuff round the head, but he got a stay of execution when Penelope responded to the call. Unable now due the interruption to be anything other than business like he gave her the location of Kayo's signal.

"That's wonderful news, we will be a little way behind you. If I miss all the action you can get the drinks in." Her emotion could not be suppressed and she radiated a smile that blew him away.

He gazed at her wanting to talk to her, really talk to her but he was in the company of four brothers who would never let him forget it if he spilled his heart in front of them, so he was forced to revert to his default setting.

"If you miss all the action you should get the drinks in M'lady."

"I accept your wager; I have received a little assistance from a GDF flier and will not be too far behind. As you are aware the Colonel is sending all the aid she can."

This comment was served to remind Scott that they had received more help than the GDF would be likely to give on a simple kidnapping. The Colonel was putting her neck on the line and Penelope wanted to make him aware of it. She was certain when this was all over blame would be apportioned and would firmly land in her court.

As soon as they were close to the coast Scott asked John to remote fly Thunderbird One to Port Gregory, just to the north of Geraldton and directly east from North Island, it was more remote and they would not attract as much attention. He would pick her up after Virgil had dropped Thunderbird 4 off a few miles off the coast of Geraldton. Scott insisted that Virgil and Alan were then to stay to Port Gregory and await instructions. Virgil desperately wanted to head to the Island with Scott and Gordon but Scott had demanded a more stealthy approach as they were not certain what they would be facing. Uncharacteristically he would wait to launch himself until Gordon was near the location of the signal as he saw the danger to Kayo if they went in too heavy handily. Scott would hear no arguments to the contrary, Virgil and Alan had to be satisfied being designated as back up, the stakes were too high he was not going to get close and then compromise her safety.

The sight of the ocean coming into view was glorious and they headed out over to a point a few kilometres off the coast of Western Australia, Gordon rose to make his way from the flight deck to his bird in pod 4, turning before he left.

"Nearly there bro. It won't be long now."

Scott looked at him and smiled, Gordon leaving meant it would not be long before he was on his way.

"See you on the Island Gordon, we are bringing her home."

In familiar territory Gordon completed the pre-launch checks in his sub and waited for the sounds to indicate he was being lowered towards his second home.

"Pod disengaged." Virgil confirmed.

Gordon launched and immediately set course for the north end of the Island.

"Thunderbird Four is go."

"Just keep talking to me." Scott instructed "When you are five kilometres out confirm and I will launch in One, work on the frequencies with Brains once you are close enough hopefully one of us will pick something up. Good Luck."

With pod 4 re-loaded Virgil turned Thunderbird Two towards the mainland for it rendezvous with Thunderbird One. Within minutes they saw her silver frame glinting, winking at them in the sun as she waited for them to bring her into the action. Virgil brought Two to rest next to her sister and they all exited the craft and looked out across the ocean, North Island was not visible on the horizon. Scott's wished he could see it, his stomach was churning but he was so far resisting the temptation to launch in One. The few minutes he would have to wait until he got confirmation from Gordon that he was the agreed distance away felt like a lifetime.

Penelope interrupted his thoughts "ETA 20 Minutes, has Gordon picked up anything yet?"

"Just waiting for him to confirm, shouldn't belong now." Scott was feeling the pressure of inactivity, each second dragged on and when eventually he heard Gordon confirm position he could have sworn he had waited it out for over an hour.

"F-A-B Thunderbird One is go. Stand-by Virgil we may need you yet."

….

Kayo resurfaced on the far side when the shuttle re-appeared round the headland she had just swum around, it made a large turning circle and headed back into the opening on the cliffs. She was hopeful she wasn't spotted as the pilot would be concentrating on entering the opening without making any mistake. At least she knew where it was, so again she hugged the coast now in shallower water and then made her way into the sand. She ditched her oxygen bottle and half removed her dry suit tying the arms around her waist. She accepted there was no cover now so she sat on the sand for a while drinking water and eating one of the bars like it was any normal outing to the coast. The beach was long the cliff meandered down to meet turning into a series of sand dunes. She could easily make her way to the top of the cliff, but whether she would be spotted or find a way in only time would tell. All she did know was that with half a bottle of water and a nutri-bar to her name that this was it and before she started out she was going to enjoy a few minutes letting the sun warm her face. Putting the fear of dying out here alone to the back of her mind she started her journey to the cliff top in the full sun of afternoon, it wasn't long before returned the dry suit to her back, as she felt her skin burning under the intense sun. As she arrived at her destination there was no way in, all she found to indicate a presence beneath her feet were a series of large vents protected by unsecure grills.

"A way in, well here goes nothing." She pulled the grill from the vent.

"Did you get that Scott?" Gordon shouted "Are you on 195mhrz? According to the data from John she's out there on top of the cliff.

"She sounds like her usual self don't you think?" Scott responded elation rising in his system, the relief started to flow through his body. Just to hear the sound of her voice, alive and in control brought a plethora of emotions cascading over him, his hands began to shake at the controls and his head began to swim but he remained focused on his need to see her "On my way ETA two mins, where's Four?"

"In deep water in the bay below the cliff face, I'm making my way to the beach now, I wish she would keep still she is making this very difficult for me." Gordon responded laughing the release of tension washed over him. They very nearly had her back, after the years without his father this was an important victory to them all, each one in their own way blaming themselves that that had not managed to rescue him, they all needed this.

Virgil had been anxiously awaiting the comms traffic to start and the fact he had actually heard her voice via Four brought a broad grin to his face and a need to be there. For the first time he was going to go against a direct order from his brother. He looked at Alan who was smiling with tears in his eyes from at the confirmation that she was alive and apparently well and moving around the Island of her own free will. Alan couldn't imagine how she had done it but somehow it seemed easier to think of Kayo this way, fighting for her freedom and being in control, the release could not be fought and the tears started to flow. Very soon he would get his chance to make it all up to her dumping the guilt of how he had treated her before she was taken from them.

Virgil interrupted his thoughts "What you think little brother shall we go get her?"

Alan looked at him bewildered for a moment at the suggestion Virgil had made and then smiled at him "You think Scott's gonna be OK with us gate crashing his knight in shining armour moment."

"You heard Grandma, all her boys are bringing her home, besides I've got the best medical facilities and I think I can overrule him on those grounds don't you think?"

Alan studied his brother feeling that somehow he needed this; he needed to be there on the scene when they got Kayo back into the arms of the family. He could still feel the self-reproach he was holding onto feeling the responsibility of allowing Catherine to avoid the questioning that may have prevented this. Alan wished he could find the words to relieve him of his pain, the only cure for both of them could come from Kayo herself.

"I doubt Scott will notice we've made an appearance once he's got eyes on her, let's risk the infamous dress down and go join the fun."

"F-A-B"

Virgil brought the green bird to life and headed out to over the azure blue ocean to bring his sister home placing a hand on Alan's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

…

Kayo slid down the vent and slowed herself with her bare feet as she got close to the end to another unsecured grill, only this time on the other side was a rotating fan with another fixed grill on the other side blocking her exit into the cave. Defeated she had run out of options there was no way of making the trip back up to the surface, and with limited recourses, one bottle of water and a black plastic bag she was starting to feel like she had reached her end game and lost. The sense of being trapped overwhelmed her, she had never suffered from claustrophobia but exhausted and injured she once more allowed a black despair to engulf her. It was highly likely would die here never to be found she had climbed into her own grave. She had never before made such an ill-conceived decision; in her eagerness to obtain a shuttle she had made a costly mistake. The only option now open to her if she wanted to survive was to alert them to her presence and submit to capture. She heard the voice of Catherine first; she would never forget that voice as long as she lived. Kayo waited before announcing her presence as she wanted to see how things would play out before handing herself over to god only knows who.

"Re-fuelled do you wish me to launch."

"Yes, both shuttles." and he pushed the agent towards the second shuttle. "Once you are both in the air set your EMF to pulse, the frequency is pre-set and the drones will leave you alone unless I need to order them otherwise. Then meet up with the mother ship and we leave before the GDF get here. We will not risk our future plans, there is a flier on route."

The shocked agent launched too quickly and clipped the wing of the shuttle into the edge of the opening of the cliff, turning close on 180 degrees on exiting and plummeting 25 meters into the sea below the cliff face. The sight of the second shuttle leaving pulled Kayo into fresh despair all this way and nothing to show for it. Hearing a familiar sound pulled her round, she wasn't sure if she was imagining it but having heard it on many occasions, unless she was going mad she was hearing the beautiful, magical sound of One out in the bay

"Scott." she whispered. "Oh god Scott, please find me."

She could cry laughing at the irony he had found her and she was stuck in a vent with no way of getting back up to the top. Still she reasoned they had got this far without her transmitter how on earth they had managed it she didn't care, her beautiful resourceful brothers had found her and Scott had come to take her home. The next voice she heard brought the fear of god into her she had no way of knowing the consequences of the command but the words gave her a sense of foreboding and fear took hold, whatever was coming was going after Thunderbird One and Scott.

"Launch wave one of the drones attack the rocket, bring the prisoner to me and set the charges."

Scott hearing the voice via Kayo gave him time to make an evasive action as the drones left the opening in the cliff. He had seconds to react, pulling up the nose of the rocket to gain altitude then hitting a burst of speed as they pursued him. Frustrated he had found himself in a dogfight with several small metallic objects he had never seen before, he was having no luck in shaking them and had no weapons to blow them from the sky. Struggling with ideas to out-manoeuvre the drones on his tail, it looked like a near impossibility with-out a burst of speed and distancing himself from the Island. In desperation he looked to Five for intel

"John what in god's name are these, I've got several bogies on my tail and no idea what they are capable of."

"Scott get the hell out of there, I have never seen anything like them before."

"Not a chance I am not leaving Kayo on that Island."

"Scott, Gordon can bring her home in Four he's so far undetected, Virgil is on his way ETA Two minutes and Penelope is not far behind with the GDF you should have full support in fifteen minutes, Take One out from the Island they will follow but you will beat them on speed and then bring them back in for Parker and the GDF to use as target practice."

Virgil's unexpected proximity was not lost on him and he was grateful that his brother had not wasted anytime in joining him. What had seen like a rescue where they may need to get in to a physical fight to get Kayo back had now turned into something from a science fiction movie and he was glad to have the back up of Thunderbird Two.

"John I'll lead out from the Island we don't want them targeting Two, make sure EOS gets all data to Brains and Two there must be a way of deactivating them."

…

Kayo felt numb she had no way of knowing what Scott was facing out there, she had never seen anything like the drones that had been sent after him but from the voice that commanded the operation she knew that he was confident they were capable of bringing Thunderbird One down. Then she saw him a face she barely recognised being dragged up the steps of the larger craft by two agents

"Oh my god … Jeff."


	17. Chapter 17

Ch 17

Kayo froze watching the man she had not seen in over a year, the man that had all but adopted her as his daughter being forcibly dragged up the steps of the larger craft. She barely recognised him but she knew the face of someone that had been forced into submission by months of torment. His eyes dulled, his cheeks sunken, a full beard now graced his chin and he had little colour in his face, for the first time since she could remember she saw Jeff Tracy looking frail and fragile, he looked every bit an old man as he stooped in the arms of his captors. For a moment she thought he had seen her, he looked directly at her as he tried to wrestle his left arm free in a final act of defiance, in the moment she imagined his eyes had caught her own there was no doubt in her mind this was Jeff, Scott's eyes were a perfect replica. She hoped he had heard the sound of One, she hoped the little fight she had seen in him was because he sensed his sons were close, she was going to get out of here and Jeff was coming with her. She didn't have much but she at least had to try, she pulled the grill away and discarded it behind her in the vent. Ripping the thick bag into threads and twisting them together she tied them to the bottle of water throwing it into the fan blades hoping they would tangle enough to stop them and she could kick though them and through the grill on the other side. Instinct had kicked in now she had someone else to worry about, she desperately needed to get into the cave and help him but sensed time was running out. The bag wrapped itself around the blades and the water bottle crumpled finally halting the slow turning blades completely. She brought her feet down hard on the fan several times before she heard it give a little punching through the grill on the other side. This gave her the impetus to keep going pushing her arms against the side of the vent to give her more purchase she kicked out again. The fan finally left its fixings punching through the grill just as the jets of the engine of the fired into life pushing her further back up into the vent.

…..

Kayo's exclamation had stunned the brothers, all of them silently taking in what they had heard and now frustrated they could not communicate directly with her. All John could do was to contact Penelope to make sure that she understood they were coming home with two family members and Parker would not be sending any missiles in the direction of the cliff face, he was not going to get this close to seeing him again only to have a friendly fire incident take him away. John was irritated by the lack of intel on the ground, his heart ripping open with no way of directly confirming what he thought he had heard via his brothers feed. Ridley stood beside him her hand on his shoulders in silence, whatever had made the little colour in his face drain completely needed to be processed, she just needed him to know she was there for him and she would be as long as he needed her to be. This man who had not slept for over 24hours, this intelligent, strong and commanding figure who if a little awkward at times was the closest thing she had felt to another human being for such a long time needed someone with him. He gave her a weak smile not confiding the relevance of what he had just heard but very glad she was with him when all his senses seemed to fail him.

Scott was stunned and momentarily paralyzed, he had heard it but didn't believe it, in the seconds it took to process what he had heard he had already made the turn. Whatever it meant he would not be putting any more distance between himself and that Island. The decision made by emotion proved costly as two drones broke free from the edges of the arrow formation and hit a burst of speed as he approached, they attached to Thunderbird One's underbelly and immediately started sucking the life out of her.

"John." EOS tried to summon him back. "John, Scott's in trouble."

Ridley took the comms from the prostrate John "Scott what your situation."

"I've taken a direct hit from two of the drones, powers draining, I need to make a turn towards the airfield and hope I can make a controlled landing."

He struggled for control of the craft, desperate for the controls to respond as the Island came back into view and all power left his bird, he flicked on the auxiliary power in the hope it would be enough for it to make the distance but the power faded as quickly as before. The realisation hit, he was going to ditch in the ocean, he had fought to save his bird for too long and had no power left to activate the eject. One would be claimed by the waves and he was going down with her.

"John I'm going down."

John came too at the sound of his brother's panicked voice.

"Gordon get back to Four, when Scott ditches in the ocean you need to pick him up fast."

"But Kayo." Gordon responded.

"Scott's in immediate danger Gordon, we pick up Kayo later."

F-A-B

Gordon retraced his steps running down from the cliff top onto the beach trying not to think about his father. His brother needed him, he made his way to the shoreline ran into the waves and immediately started swimming out into the shallows around the point that Kayo had swam past less than an hour before. The last thing he saw before making his dive for Four was Thunderbird One heading towards the ocean about a quarter of mile out to sea. All thoughts of Kayo and his father cleared from his mind as he focused on his brother, he had a gift for focus, all the times he had walked to the blocks of the swimming pool before a race his heart racing and mind whirling but as soon as one foot hit the block a calm descended and his mind cleared there was only him and the water. He made the swim to Four within minutes, entered the airlock, brought his bird to life and made the turn out of the bay to rescue Scott. His monitor gave the location and the depth that Thunderbird One had rested on the seabed, it should be a straightforward rescue and he hoped one he would be able to remind his brother he would owe him with regularity for years to come.

…

Once the blast of the jet had pushed her up the vent, Kayo felt strange feeling as she was reoriented and felt the sensation of sliding head first down a slide as the ground opened up beneath her to allow the larger craft out. She crash landed hard on the cliff top and looked up mesmerised by the large craft which had carried her and Tracy One to the Island and now carried Jeff lifting into the sky above her. She felt helpless as it rose in a vertical take-off, hover for a second and then headed out to sea maintaining position out in the bay surrounded by the metallic objects she had seen leave the opening in the cliff. She turned her head shading her eyes from the sun and saw Two making an approach from the south east and then turned her focus again out to the bay and the craft which held Jeff. Behind it she saw Thunderbird One hitting the Ocean, her heart stopped just for a second as she watched the waves displace under One as she entered her watery confinement, she frantically scanned the sky as she searched for Scott, certain he had got out and was using his jetpack. Tears welled in her eyes and she let out an involuntary guttural wail as the realisation the he had gone down with her set in. Virgil could help him, then her brain shifted and she remembered the charges, Virgil was coming and she had to make sure that she could warn him, she needed to make herself visible to stop Two flying directly overhead to help Scott and being caught in the explosion. She scrambled to her feet and lost her footing immediately, her feet were bleeding badly and she was struggling to put any weight on them as a searing pain travelled up both her legs. She was determined to get as much distance between her and the cave before it blew, and she had no idea how long the charges had been set for. Fighting to secure each footfall made her head spin, she threw her arms to the side to indicate to Virgil to take Two out to sea away from the Island. Repeating the action, hoping he would see her, then her legs turned to jelly and could no longer support her weight, stumbling forward she hit the ground and could not raise herself. She made it a few more metres on her hands and knees before darkness encompassed her and she passed out.

….

Scott hit the ocean hard and was sinking tail down, the hull had been compromised by the drones and water was filling from the rear. He struck his head on the controls on entry to the water knocking him out for a few moments; he came round to water filling a breach in the cockpit. He knew he was injured but self-preservation kicked in and he fought his way out of his chair and anxiously searched for a way to escape. There was no power in the bird to escape by activating the cockpit release controls and for a moment he was paralysed by fear as the water continued to steal space around him. He stopped to watch the light bouncing off the ocean above, the water was relatively shallow, the panic left him in favour of a fight response, if he could just get free he could the swim to the surface. He was not sure how much time he had left before the water completely surrounded him, he swam to the back of the cockpit and made a dive to the manual release, the turns required would not allow him to release in one effort and he'd have to go back to the small pocket of air several times and return to keep working on the control. Cursing in his head that that all the Thunderbirds were not kitted out with a rebreather, a staple of Gordon's kit, he could have been out in seconds if he had the simple aid.

"Scott, … Scott! Gordon's on his way."

John received no response to the contact, the transmission came while Scott was on his second dive to release the manual control. John didn't panic he had Scott's vitals and although the heart rate had increased dramatically he knew he was alive, it was enough for now. His concern was for his oxygen levels which dropped and rose again in spasmodic intervals.

On his next breath the available air pocket had reduced by a quarter at least, rather than dive for another attempt he contacted Five having heard the concern in his brothers voice.

"He got an ETA John it's getting kinda hairy in here. I'm taking on water and trapped in the cockpit, the release controls have no power. The manual isn't designed for an escape underwater, that manual release is a bitch."

"Scott I'll be with you in two shakes of a mermaid's tail." Gordon confirmed.

As Gordon gave the confirmation Scott could see Four making its way towards him, breathing a sigh of relief he stayed in the air pocket rather than to waste energy fighting the manual control another time. The water had never been a place of comfort for him like it had been for Gordon, up in the clouds seemed less alien to Scott, why anyone would want to submerge themselves anywhere you couldn't take a natural breath was beyond him.

"Gordon, when you g…get to Thunderbird One, look for a r…red access panel on the right hand side underneath the r…rear of the cockpit." Brains instructed.

"Red panel, got it Brains, I'll have him out in no time."

Gordon swam round to the control as directed and released the panel; the turns Scott had already made meant he took minimal effort before the glass panel dropped away allowing Scott the room to escape from the stricken bird. Gordon passed him a rebreather noting with concern the large gash above his forehead.

"Let's not sightsee, you're advertising yourself as dinner to any shark 5 miles of here."

Gordon smiled as his brother's face went pale and he increased the pace. He knew full well that the line he had just delivered was the biggest bullshit he had probably ever gotten away with to Scott who didn't usually fall so easily for his pranks. Scott's urgency to get back to his sub confirmed he would have a great story to tell when they were all safe and sound back home, he wondered if he dare dream this time that their father would be there to hear it. They made their entry back into the airlock at the back removing their rebreather's as the water drained to allow them access into the small cockpit of Four.

"I've got him John, Does Virgil have Kayo? Scott's wondering if he's got time to raise his bird, he's looking a little down in the mouth his girl is all wet."

Scott punched him in the shoulder and waited for the news that they had Kayo and that he would very soon be reunited with her, feeling guilty that she had not been at the forefront of his mind as he tried to escape from his submerged bird.

"Virgil and Alan are searching for her now."

John didn't want to relay much more intel, they would find out for themselves once they reached the beach and saw the apocalyptic scene for themselves. He had seen the cliff top open up from the vid link on Two and the large alien like craft lift itself effortlessly in the sky. This craft had their father he was sure of it and he could not be the one to tell Scott right now that the chances of leaving the Island with him looked slim. His hopes were now pinned on the arrival of the GDF and they were still minutes away.

To Virgil the ground seemed to open up like a like the release on a jack in a box, he could not take his eyes off the large craft as it hovered for a moment before hitting an increase in speed and making its way out into the bay. The drones that had downed Scott's bird were now following it like ducks follow their mother before they swept round in an arc and headed directly for him and Thunderbird Two.

"Alan get in the rescue seats and attach a line, you may have to jump but we need someone on the ground if we stand any chance of getting Kayo, they had Scott downed in seconds."

"F-A-B"

Alan didn't need telling twice, he had been imagining the countdown on the charges since he had heard the words and was desperate to get Kayo from the danger zone. All the films he had ever seen going round in his head where they stopped the clock with a second to go and all was well, he knew in this instant they were going to blow but had no clue as to how long any of them had before it did. If the charges were to be activated remotely the very sight of Thunderbird Two would make it likely that the time was very close, very close indeed.

He attached a line and made the jump from the seats rolling onto the dunes and ran towards the cliff top.

"I'm on the ground Virg. Get yourself clear, power down to protect Two and prep the medical bay."

"John the signal from the locator …. Direct me we need to get her outta there before it blows. We don't know if they are on timers or if it's to be activated remotely."

"She's 10m to your left, she's not moving. The GDF and Penelope are minutes away just get both of you away as far as you can Al."

Once he had given the order John started shaking, for the first time as space monitor he had failed to consider all the information that had been presented with and had failed to give viable and logical order to ensure his brothers safety. It was Alan that had picked up on the charges; he had up until now barely remember hearing on the comms and had paid no significance to in the shock of hearing his father's name. He now had a brother and sister on a cliff top that was going to explode, one of the fleet out of action resting on the seabed and Thunderbird Two was drawing the attention of the drones forcing it out of the fray. He steeled himself to the new mission and the mission now seemed to be damage control.

"Alan, have you located her? You have got to get out of there."

"John I've found her, she's out cold. I have a pulse and she's breathing but I can't risk any further checks till I get the hell off this cliff."

Scott had up until now left the comms traffic open between John and Alan knowing that John was best placed to pass intel to him but couldn't help himself but to break in now the seriousness of the situation on land was sinking in. Alan and Kayo were in danger the panic rising in John's voice told him all he needed to know, while under the ocean the situation on land was in rapid decline and they were running the risk of all of them not coming back alive.

"Al run, just get both of you off the cliff."

Scott looked to Gordon whose face had drained of colour in the last few minutes as he processed the comms traffic. As they heard John's next transmission Gordon had to suppress the urge to vomit.

"Keep going Al you're doing great, head to Two Al, she'll protect you when it blows, Virg's landed at the far end of the Dunes, keep going Al your nearly there."

Alan had lifted Kayo over his shoulder and was struggling to keep any pace carrying her weight, he was now on an automatic function and still in shock by her condition, she looked like she has been badly beaten up, there was barely part of her without at least superficial injury. His legs were starting to buckle as he ran in the direction of Two as fast as he could carry her on the incline to the dunes. The softer ground under foot only served to slow the pace and the grass gave way to a mixture of sand and rock he had to dodge obstacles in his path with limited vision. He looked to the distance and saw the flier approach and he saw its cargo bay door open allowing FAB 1 one to enter the action. Alan continued to move as fast as he could, the time was now, if a timer hadn't been set he would blow it now when the GDF had entered the area. He had barely made it 200 meters from where he had started when the cliff exploded behind him catapulting him on top of Kayo hard onto the rocks.

"What the hell was that? … John did they make it to Two?" Scott roared over the comms.


	18. Chapter 18

Ch18

Jeff Tracy sat inert between two men trying to grasp what had made him struggle when he was unable to remember a time when those faces weren't in his life. Something he heard in the short walk from his cell to the steps of a craft he had never seen before brought images into his head, tears to his eyes and stirred a fight response inside. He had heard engines but the picture that had immediately formed in his mind as he placed one foot on the ramp was of a chestnut haired, blue eyed man before it disappeared in a cloudy haze to be replaced by the horror of a ship being claimed by the waves. That memory became a tangible reality, something he started to think he had forgotten, he was sure now that as fear built in his system that he had been taken off a sinking vessel. Trying now to think back to the link between the image of the ship and the cell he had been released from and there was nothing in between. His life now consisted of the feeling of water invading his lungs, the faces surrounding him, a familiar four walls and now the image of a man he didn't recognise but that had brought something back that felt comforting and familiar. The syringe being prepped by the man on the right of him meant the darkness was coming, he locked on the picture of the blue eyed man determined that whatever happened when he woke he would find that image again and allow it to unlock something inside that linked him to it.

The Mechanic surveyed the scene in front of him smugly, his little army was well matched against the Thunderbirds and he would certainly enjoy his next encounter but for now he called back his shuttle and the drones eager to make his escape while confusion reigned on the Island.

"Catherine, time to leave make your way to pick up and do not allow yourself to be taken by the GDF, I will shoot you from the sky rather than have them take you in."

As Catherine lifted the shuttle from the hover position she had been maintaining to the east of the bay she was in no doubt that her very survival depended on her making it to his ship. As she took in the view before her she was under no illusion of how difficult that would be. The GDF were engaging with The Mechanics ship, their missiles were dropping redundantly into the ocean but there was no let up from them now there were no drones left in the sky. Her path to him would put herself directly in their firing line, she had only had a few minutes training at the controls and she had no idea if her own craft had any sort of weapons systems. When she first caught the glimmer of pink out of the corner of her eye she thought she was hallucinating but there a few meters off her port side was a flying pink car with the face of the ice queen looking directly at her. She made evasive action lifting her nose to gain height and her moves and speed were perfectly matched, she dropped down at speed pulling up meters above the ocean wondering why they didn't engage.

"Parker, wear her down. Under no circumstances is she to make contact with the larger craft. I want that shuttle and I want her alive."

"Yes M'lady, a little intimidation may be the order of the day she will make her own mistakes."

"Yes Parker but it is imperative we have her alive and able to talk if we are going to understand who has Jeff"

The Mechanic heard the GDF transmissions for back up and sensed that the tide was turning, the time for escape was now before any more reinforcements arrived but he had no choice other than to make a last ditched attempt to get the shuttle. He launched the drones back into the action now his departure had been delayed by his need to assist Catherine and he ordered them to attack the larger GDF vessel. He sent a further two drones in the direction of the smaller craft Catherine was struggling to out-manoeuvre and was forcing her further away from his ship. He was giving the shuttle a few seconds breathing space in its attempt to make its rendezvous. She would get her chance because he needed the technology on board without having to start again from scratch but his finger hovered over the trigger, he would give her a few minutes more and then blow her from the sky.

Parker outwitted any attempt for the drones following FAB1 to attach themselves but they were forcing him away from the shuttle. He slowed his speed dropped down and then increased power and arced round onto them until he had a clear line of sight, he lined up each shot, two missiles two perfect shots. The others joined the pursuit of FAB 1 as the GDF flier hit the ocean. Six to one were not odds Parker was comfortable with but he steeled himself to the task, he may not have be able to shoot the shuttle from the sky but he was damn well going to give these glorified boys toys a run for their money.

"Well done Parker, Two on the left and one right now Parker. Parker I can't see the others." There was the hint of panic in Penelope's voice as she heard the explosion behind them.

"We just keep sighting the ones we see M'lady, we will reduce the odds in no time."

The additional targets proved harder to pinpoint as his attention darted from one to the other and evasive action became his only defence. Precious missiles were wasted and they ditched impotently into the ocean. It looked like just staying ahead of them was all he could do, lining up a dead shot was impossible at this speed.

"Parker they're retreating."

He lost most of the chasing pack as they retreated in the direction of the larger vessel but one remained on his tail keeping him occupied.

Penelope followed their flight, she had taken her eyes of the shuttle during the battle with the drones but once her gaze had been drawn by the drones to the larger craft she saw the shuttle had very nearly docked.

"Parker! We have been diverted, we have no choice we must risk clipping her wings or we will lose her."

As Parker swung round to take the shot, the last of the drones continued to plague to him, he had three air born missiles left in his arsenal and he did not want to waste this one. His fingers were poised on the trigger lining up the shot that would down but not destroy the shuttle but would do nothing to keep his distance from the chasing drone. This shot would be costly and he knew it, the remaining drone attached to FAB1, power started to drain and Parker was keen to ensure that Penelope knew they had only one choice.

"M'lady, the ocean we need to take our cover before all power is lost."

"Yes Parker." The dejected tone in Penelope's tone admitted defeat.

The last sight of the shuttle Penelope had was it making its target and being lifted under the belly of the larger craft. Her failure to obtain a prisoner who had a direct link to the captor of Jeff Tracy was a catastrophe as far as missions go and she was not used to failure. At the moment they entered the water Parker activated the auxiliary power to morph FAB1 into a sub and the drone did not to hinder them further, it fell redundantly away on contact with the water and came to rest on the seabed.

….

Gordon and Scott made their way onto the beach to be greeted by the sight of a gaping hole where the cliff face should have been and a dogfight erupting in the middle of the sky, they froze for a moment in disbelief. Their hearts were in their mouths as they saw the GDF open fire on the craft they knew contained their father. Within seconds the army of drones downed it as easily as the two attached to Thunderbird One had. Gordon tensed at his side as he watched a drone make an attack on FAB1, staring in horror at the sight they had left the calm ocean to behold. The worst sight for both of them was the large craft engulfing the shuttle and returning drones then hitting a burst of speed and disappearing into the distance.

"John." Scott shouted through the comm link to Five "Track that ship and where the hell is Kayo. Virgil, where are they?"

"Scott let him do what he needs to." John tried to calm him but there was something in his voice.

Panic swept over him and Scott started to run, he turned to look over his shoulder to Gordon who had just watched the love of his life attacked and then submerge in the ocean. He instructed him back to the sea, he would protect him from what he knew deep down from Virgil's silence would break his heart.

"Back to Four Gordon, go and check Penelope is OK and get the crew off that flier, I'm finding the others." Scott tried to sound matter of fact, suppress his fear, and like he was giving him an order on a mission. Then he turned back and ran as fast as he could to the place he was now starting to feel he would find both Alan and Kayo dead.

John understood Scott's need to give the order and gave Gordon and update on the flier "Gordon scans show that several crew have escaped and are on the surface making their way to shore, I'll keep you posted if any get into difficulties, there are three crew members trapped in the forward section, it looks like they sealed the hatches and got to a place where water had entered both sides you may need to cut through the outer hull to reach them."

He handed him over to Ridley feeling that each separate incident needed monitoring on separate comms without alerting Gordon to the seriousness of the situation on land.

Gordon ran back into the waves with John's comms traffic no longer in his ears and his heart hammering in his chest, the swim to his bird seemed like an eternity faced with the possibilities of what had happened to FAB1 since it had ditched into the ocean. Back in his sub he powered her up and immediately scanned the area for the flier and any signs of Penelope. Scanners showed both Thunderbird One and the GDF flier resting on the ocean floor and a moving blip that he knew was Penelope.

"Lady Penelope this is Thunderbird 4, what it your status."

"Gordon how lovely of you to join us, I think you owe me a drink!"

Gordon let out a relieved laugh "Have you got enough power to make it to the beach."

"I am not certain but we have no water ingress so go and see what you can do to help the crew of the flier and I will let you know later if I require you to rescue me Gordon."

Penelope's words were warm and comforting and Gordon smiled as he pictured the opportunity to rescue her, he had played scenario after scenario in his dreams for months but this lady required very little assistance. He turned the sub giving her a little drive by blowing her a kiss and he turned his attention to the crew on the flier. EOS sent through a holographic image of the location within the stricken GDF craft the crew were.

"Captain have you made contact with the crew, I could do with them being as far back from the cut as possible."

"Still reading life signs Gordon but the GDF and I are struggling to maintain a comms link, just white noise fading in and out with incoherent voices, I will keep trying."

Gordon positioned his sub and attaching spare re-breathers for the crew once he had managed to get them off the flier. He checked his positioning with Ridley and then hammered on the hull in the hope it would provide warning for them to stand back before he attempted to breach the ship. It could go either way, attract them to the noise if they panicked or if they kept a level head they would know that rescue was on its way and step back.

"John … I mean Captain, how big is the air pocket? Once the water enters I will need to Evac them fast."

"Standby Gordon I will try to make contact to advise them of a safe position, their life signs are good and we have still have time."

….

As Penelope blew a kiss back to Gordon and watched him disappear into the clear blue of the ocean something silver at the base of the cliff caught her eye. They didn't have the shuttle that Catherine was on but they had the next best thing, another similar craft was resting, breached on the ocean floor at the bottom of the cliff.

"Parker scan for life signs, unless there is a life to be saved then we keep this from the GDF and take it back to Brains."

"Yes M'lady. No life signs detected."

"Then Parker this is not to be divulged until we have access from the GDF to lift Tracy One off the Island and Thunderbird One off the seabed, Virgil can transport it back to Tracy Island, I think we need to take a good look at it's on board technology."

"Yes, M'lady"

They made the turn away from the shuttle Penelope was desperate to acquire and made their way to the beach. FAB1 drove onto the sand and the sight before them made them pale, they couldn't see Two or any of the others there was debris and rocks littering the beach with no sign of life. Penelope took out her compact and made contact with Five and the news she received made her gasp in horror.

…

Scott ran towards the gap in the dunes, interrupted by John screaming at Virgil to get to Alan out fast and relaying his vitals over the comms. Scott increased his pace but he still couldn't see Virgil.

"Kayo… John is she with him? Where are they?"

He tried to break into the communication between them trying to get a direction, the path rose and he saw Virgil in his Exo suite, lifting debris off Alan, Scott ran to aid and stopped in his tracks. Alan had been pushed forward by the blast and debris was strewn across his damaged body, his legs half buried.

"Shit Allie! Virg is he OK?"

Scott looked down and saw a mass of black hair protruding from under Alan's body, Scott leapt forward and stated scrabbling to release the dirt and rocks from around her face and upper body frantically trying to find a pulse as Virgil lifted the heavier debris of Alan's legs.

"Scott get the Med Evac kit and stabilize Alan, we have two patients with potential crush injuries, one with a blast injury, we need to prep for internal injuries and we need to get IV's in fast before their bodies shut down."

Virgil hoped that referring to them as patients would spur Scott into action without the need for him to bellow at him. Scott reacted instantly running as fast as he could to get the kit Virgil had discarded in favour of the Exo Suit when it became clear the amount of debris would hinder a medical evaluation and any first responder treatment. As soon as the rocks had been lifted Virgil instantly dumped the Exo suit to assess the patients, Alan at the very least was semi-conscious but had at least one broken leg, broken ribs and blast burns to his back. He had been struggling on his own to assess the immediate needs of both patients, he had gone to Alan first as he needed to lift him off Kayo and he feared that the release of pressure from removing the debris may allow any internal injury to bleed out. He pulled him clear, his name and the moans he heard from his brother's mouth were music to his ears.

"It's OK Al, I've got you. You're going to be fine Allie I promise. Don't move Al, I'm just gonna take a look at Kayo then I'll be back. OK?"

Alan's face grimaced through the pain as he remembered she was with him "Kayo…. Where is ..she? V…Virgil, Kayo!"

"It's OK Allie we got her, Scott's here. Take it easy Al, you'll both be fine."

He instructed John to keep shouting his vitals while he took a first look at Kayo. She had suffered a massive head injury as she was pushed forward in the blast and landed on the rocks with Alan on top of her, she was not conscious and her output was irregular. Alan had saved Kayo from the blast protecting her and Kayo had protected him from the impact onto the rocks and now one if not both were cases for ICU. Scott was staring at both of them, he dropped to his knees between the two. Virgil needed him moving and in control of something no matter how small he gave Scott instructions to get the hover stretches to assist their transport to Two, while he put a line in on Alan so he could administer drugs & fluids immediately.

Virgil watched as his brother returned with the hover stretchers, Scott dropped to his knees now clinging to Alan's hand while he watched him like a hawk attending to Kayo. Virgil held Kayo's hand and kissed it before attempting to insert the IV that would facilitate the dose to keep her brain from functioning and fluids she desperately needed. Her dehydration thwarted his first effort the vein collapsed as soon as he stuck it.

"Shit."

"You got this Virgil, come on." Scott pleaded.

The second attempt fared no better, his hands were starting to shake but he couldn't risk moving her until he had the line in, anymore time wasted could make the difference to her vitals during the transfer. He took a deep breath and swapped to the other hand warming it with a dry heat pack and flicking the vein with his finger and to his relief he secured the line, both he and Scott gave an audible sign of relief.

"Scott take Alan to Two, it's a risk but we'll need to position him on his side for transportation to keep pressure off the burns, monitor signs for pneumothorax, you may need to reposition him if his vitals drop but get him to Two on the monitors as soon as you can. Apply gel packs to the affected areas and immobilise his leg"

Scott turned to escort Alan back to two while Virgil continued to stabilize Kayo before stopping and asking the question that had gripped him with fear as soon as he had set eyes on her.

"And Kayo. What are her chances?" Scott knew what Virgil was doing, he was keeping him away and occupied with Alan and he desperately needed to know why.

As far as Virgil was concerned having Scott in close proximity at this moment in time was the last thing he needed.

"I'll bring her… But Scott I think she may be at risk of swelling or a bleed on the brain. Look after Al and I promise you I will bring Kayo to Thunderbird Two as soon as I can."

Virgil watched him leave and administered pain killers and a sedative that would induce the coma which would shield her brain from further damage, allowing it to shut down all but basic functions and protect it in the short term. He lifted her onto the hover stretcher to transport her, kissing her forehead, hoping that when he got to Thunderbird Two both patients were stable enough for an immediate evacuation.

"John inform Darwin HQ we will be on our way to their medical facilities as soon as I have fully assessed them on Two, standby for Kayo's vitals I am attaching a monitor I need to know any slight change in either that might indicate an internal bleed."

"Understood, how long before you have them stabilised, I may need a medical evacuation from the Flier, the GDF support I have been promised is still 25 minutes away."

"John I will let you know when I have assessed them, I will not guess and they are my priority, when they are ready to move we go immediately."

"F-A-B" he managed before he grabbed the arm of Ridley to support him.

Virgil escorted Kayo back to Two with tears rolling down his cheeks, he dreaded telling Scott what he had needed to administer and his assessment of her condition. Although Alan had sustained more injuries in his medical opinion Kayo was critical and fighting for her life.


	19. Chapter 19

Ch19

Gordon waited for five minutes at the scene of the downed flier, long enough to wonder why the usual contact with Five wasn't there, long enough to realise that Scott had been a little too quick to release him back to the ocean and long enough for fear driven by instinct to build. The vision of the carnage on land played over in his mind, there had been no confirmation from Virgil that all was well in fact his silence when Scott screamed for their location now made him sick to the pit of stomach. Now he had time to dwell in the calm of the ocean and he knew that Penelope was alive frustration built, as each second passed with silence in his ear his need to be back on land increased. The back-up frequency had been reluctantly adhered to but his need to be in contact with John grew, he felt abandoned by him, was the situation so desperate on land they were prioritising comms became a question that he couldn't let go of but not one he wanted to speak to a stranger about.

Impatience and fear got the better of him "You got a comms link established with the crew?"

"Not yet Gordon, but their life signs are strong and there is no water breaching their position, Gordon, I'm going to pass you over to John."

John's voice was different a little distant and the anxiety built within him as he hung on every word spoken "Gordon we will need to leave you with the crew on the Island, Two is needed for an immediate transfer to medical facilities."

Gordon was not going to allow John to fob him off back to the GDF Captain without spelling it out "John you had better tell me what's happening, WHO IS IT?

"Alan and Kayo were caught in the explosion, Virgil and Scott are on the scene giving medical assistance, I will update you as soon as I have anything. Gordon until then Captain O'Bannon is back as monitor on this rescue and you will remain off the main comms." John's voice came back to one he recognised, steady and with the air of an order "Gordon we have to keep the two situations separate, there are three people that need help and you are the only one that can give it."

"Just keep me updated John."

"Gordon it will be OK…..If anything changes I will let you know."

"John you'd better."

The minutes in silence while he waited for the confirmation from Ridley that he could commence cutting to evacuate the crew and return to land to assist Virgil were an eternity, he hadn't believed John's last comment. He would have risked the cut immediately if he hadn't had the experience of drowning himself. He knew it would be an impulsive decision that could potentially seal the fate of those he was trying to rescue and it was not an action he was willing to take no matter how badly he wanted to get to his brother and sister. When the Captain confirmed the crew's position within the vessel had moved to a safer one he commenced the cut relieved an action was now being taken. Once the outer hull was breached he shone a light through for the crew to follow and pulled them free one by one pushing a rebreather into their mouth and indicating for them to swim to the yellow sub. The last crew member he dragged free was Colonel Casey who took her rebreather and squeezed Gordon's shoulder.

"Captain O'Bannon I have all crew members and we are heading back to shore, any update?"

"Understood, any injured."

"No Captain, none for immediate Evac, Captain what is the latest."

"Gordon they've both been transported to Two and they will be on their way to medical facilities as soon as Virgil's happy they have been stabilised. Gordon they are alive, I have nothing more than that."

It was enough for now, alive was better than the alternative but still his gut was telling him something was dreadfully wrong. Gordon assisted the crew to Thunderbird Four and was relieved to be finally making the short trip back towards land where he could see them for himself. It was unnerving, not to have his usual pickup from Two and having to leave his sub immersed under the waves without him was foreign territory serving only to amplify that on land was a situation that would make his blood run cold. As Gordon accompanied the crew on the swim to shore his heart hammered inside his chest and his mouth held the nervous taste of bile, they made it to the beach and they were greeted by the sight of Thunderbird Two lifting off. He scanned the scene in front of him and caught sight of Penelope on the beach looking after the crew members that had made it out of the flier under their own steam, she caught his eye and immediately made her way over to them.

"Colonel, sit down. We have basic supplies and John informs me that your transportation will be with you shortly." Penelope wrapped a blanket around the colonel and gave Gordon a weak smile.

"They should have been here Penelope. They have been delayed by someone or something. As soon as we made contact to confirm hostile action they were meant to engage, they were holding off in Perth."

"Darwin?"

"It's where the orders come from."

"Then it's a good job I have sent Parker to accompany our patients, although I think we should re-think our medical needs Colonel." She left the Colonel to look after the GDF crew in her charge and pulled Gordon into a hug before contacting Five to inform them of the need to change their plans.

"John, please advise Virgil to seek an alternative medical facility, flying into GDF facility at Darwin will now be too much of a risk and should be avoided. Perth's closer the change of plans will have no effect on the outcome."

As soon as she had uttered the words she realised that the outcome she feared was bleak. Gordon and Penelope sat side by side as they watched the GDF pick up their crew for transportation off the Island. Penelope had declined their offer of a ride to Darwin, she would wait for the return of Thunderbird Two to help with the lifting of International Rescues' equipment, thanking the Colonel and crew for their assistance she watched their departure and rested her head on Gordon's shoulder, he had been unusually quiet and she knew him well enough to know that the reality of the last hour was just hitting home.

"John do we have an update from Virgil?"

"He's changed heading to Perth, both patients as well as can be expected and once they are safely transferred he will make his way back to pick you up."

It had been weighing on his mind as much as the condition of Alan and Kayo and so far it had not been mentioned "Did you trace the craft?"

"I'm sorry Gordon but we lost contact out in the Indian Ocean, it cloaked we didn't stand a chance."

Penelope would have loved to re-assure John that they still had small chance; there was a small craft a short distance away that may hold some answers. After everything that had happened including the delayed rescue of the Colonel by the GDF she couldn't assume that Captain O'Bannon was safe. Waiting patiently until Gordon had spoken to John about his fears for their father, Alan and Kayo, holding his hand all the time until she could confide in him about her need to retrieve the shuttle. It pained her when Gordon's tears started to fall and she could hear John's voice breaking, but she couldn't give them release for fear of being compromised, after everything they had been through there were few people she would trust again.

As soon as the brothers had terminated comms she took Gordon's tear stained face in her hands, looking into his eyes and told him the hopes she had that the wreck at the bottom of the cliff face would hold some clues. She confided her fears and impressed upon him the need to keep it from the GDF including Captain O'Bannon. He smiled at her, the half-hearted kind when the stress of the day is all too much but you try not to inflict it on the ones you love. Penelope cradled him in her arms determined she would be strong for him as he had been so many times for her. When his tears stopped she waited for him to express his needs, it didn't matter to her if they spent their time waiting for Two in silence or with him needing to talk, this man would have whatever he needed from her for the rest of his life.

"If I don't say this now Gordon I may never get the chance, so here goes … Gordon Cooper Tracy I am absolutely and utterly in love with you."

This brought a smile and fresh tears back to Gordon's eyes, while it was just the two of them surrounded by the backdrop of a war zone he took Penelope in his arms and kissed her gently at first then with increased want, she had given him something he had always been desperate to hear and delivered it when he needed it the most.

…

Virgil had no need to argue with the decision to detour to Perth, time was a precious commodity and even ten minutes saved was a positive outcome, especially as he was conflicted by his decision to sedate Kayo. The golden hour played on his mind, he knew at the time he didn't have the facilities to manage the dose, intubation was not something Two was geared for, the oxygen he had her hooked up to was a poor substitute for mechanical ventilation. At the controls he second guessed his call several times, he had shut her brain activity down within the golden period, a necessary precaution the hospital were sure to have made anyway, it had to be with an hour of trauma for the best prospect of rehabilitation but now rehabilitation seemed a long way off if his actions had made the situation worse.

He looked over his shoulder through the open cockpit door to the scene behind; he tried to find comfort in Alan, he now felt sure would be back at the Island after a few days, at worst a week his suit had provided valuable protection. He was more and more animated now the painkillers had taken their full effect and Scott had cut him out of his clothes with only small pieces still clinging to the burns, he had covered him loosely in a wet cotton sheet which seemed to soothe him. He knew Parker and Scott were trying to shield Alan's view of Kayo, he heard Parker try to keep him focused on his own injuries chiding him for any movements but even he couldn't stop the boy's incessant requests for information on her condition.

"Scott how is she doing, is she waking up?"

Scott looked at him, trying to put a face on that would not alert Alan to the serious nature of her condition. He was sure that the Alan could tell by looking at him that Kayo was teetering on the edge of life.

"She's doing OK Al, we'll know more when we get her to the hospital." Alan didn't have the energy to take Scott at anything but face value.

"Do you think she did see him Scott, do you think dad was actually there?"

This change in the nature of the questioning took him by surprise; it had been something that had been going around in his head as he held her hand. Kayo had certainly sounded sure, but equally had been through enough to give even the most strong willed person a case of PTSD and she had received a cocktail of aesthetic and sedatives that may have compromised her ability process anything she saw.

"We'll ask her when she's recovered Al, try not to let it worry you. Just rest Alan."

He was grateful to Parker who took a little of the heat off, now sitting close to him leaning over telling him what a hero he was which made his brother smile though his pain. There was nothing more likely to distract Alan than a compliment about his performance on any mission and one bestowed by Parker who was unknown to compliment anyone did the trick for the short term.

Thankful for the small respite that Parker had delivered Scott turned his attention back to Kayo, taking the small comms bracelet from his utility belt he laid it across her wrist in a useless symbolic gesture, he leant over and kissed her forehead. His eyes took in every bruise and laceration on her body, her face half hidden by the oxygen mask had blood congealing on her skin and in her hair. Inside he was screaming, despair engulfed him, this was not how he imagined there reunion would be. He was desperate to hear her voice again, to hold her, receiving a tongue lashing off her would be preferable to this. One thing he knew for certain he was going to find it very hard to let her out of his sight again. He brushed the hair off her face, cleaned the dirt from her multiple injuries finishing with the gash in her cheekbone which he kissed. In all the years he had known her he had never seen her as vulnerable as this, there wasn't a part of her body that had seemed to escape injury and he sat there only able to hold her hand. He could do nothing to make this better all he could do was hope that she was strong enough to fight back from this. He laid his head on Kayo's chest and felt the chaotic rhythm beneath as Kayo's monitor alarmed.

Virgil immediately shouted to Scott "Scott compressions, John take controls and details John is she shockable." He released himself from the seat and made a dash to her side.

When he got to Kayo he hoped to keep Scott away from her side "Scott take the controls."

"Not a chance, John has her. Virgil talk to me."

John's panicked voice stopped him from having to respond "Virgil she has shockable rhythm."

Scott stood back and watched like a hawk as Virgil took the paddles trying to ignore Scott's shouts for information and Alan's desperate voice pleading with her to be OK.

"Charging."

He placed the paddles on her chest and watched as he saw the current lift her body off the bed. John confirmed the information he could already see on the monitor.

"No output. Virg go again." John tried to keep a calm tone to his voice while his own heart was hammering hard.

Virgil repeated the action with increased charge and a waited once more for the monitor to show signs of life.

Scott and John shouted for him to repeat the action again and Alan screamed out, the third charge pulsed through her system, kick started a rhythm and brought her monitor to life. Virgil let out deep breath he had been unaware he was holding, Kayo was a fighting back and within a few minutes her vitals stabilised. Although it felt time had slowed down and an hour had passed before he saw the rhythm on the monitor that allowed him a sigh of relief. Once he was certain her vitals had recovered sufficiently to stay immediate concern he made a check on Alan who had Parker still by his side obscuring his view of Kayo. For now looking at Scott was too hard, the call he had made had nearly been born out to be fatal decision, he had thought to far ahead he had always been the transport to get a patient to a medical facility because this patient was someone he loved he had been desperate to give her the best prognosis. His eyes pricked with the tears of self-reproach, his younger brothers eyes met his supressing his own tears.

"You OK Al? She's gonna be OK, we are nearly there and she will get the best medical help available."

"Virg you are the best medical help available and I love you. You saved her."

Virgil smiled at him not at all feeling like a life had been saved, it was still balancing precariously on the edge but hearing the elation in Alan's voice he could not be the one to bring realism to him. The medical team would shortly sit them down in a relative's room and impart the nature of her condition and his job as it should have been at the beginning was now just to get them there as quickly as possible.

Scott threw his arms around him before he returned to the pilot's seat.

"Virgil …. I … Thank you."

"Let's just get them there Scott, go keep an eye on her."

Scott took up the position by her side holding her hand, Virgil knew he would do that until she was awake and back with them or taken from them. Scott nuzzled her neck, whispering in her ear, pleading with her to be OK. He had her back but she was close to being taken from him permanently, recently he had taken off from Port Gregory in control and once again he was ungrounded, unsure and his resolve was failing him. Tears started to fall, there was no sob, they fell in silence falling on to Kayo's hair as his head leant into hers.

Virgil called over his shoulder, clearing his throat to take the emotion out of his voice "ETA 10 Minutes, Scott you might want to change if you're planning on staying with her, we will need to keep IR's involvement low key."

John confirmed that the medical teams were fully briefed and ready to take the transfers to the specialist units. Alan was to be received by the burns team now it was clear there was no internal damage and his lungs were functioning, the break would be attended to on the ward by the on call orthopaedic consultant. Kayo was an immediate transfer to the neurology department with a theatre on standby in case their initial assessment called for immediate surgery.

Once Thunderbird Two had landed the medical teams descended Virgil gave his assessment of the patients in an automatic response as he had done a hundred times before. The team intubated Kayo in the open before the rush to the ward bringing home to Virgil the call he had made in the thick of the action that continued to torment him. As Alan and Kayo were rushed away by doctors and nurses a nurse pulled them to one side and indicating the waiting area for families where they were expected to remain until they were called. Parker was not comfortable with them linking the patients as anything to do with International Rescue, Lady Penelope had not asked him to accompany the transfer on a whim. He volunteered to give the booking data to the nurse.

"My niece and nephew where caught in an ordinance explosion, we had taken the boat out for a little excursion and I think the Island we had chosen to explore had been used by the Australian army for testing. Luckily International Rescue were on hand to respond quickly to my call for help."

The nurse took the details, Scott was dumbfounded by Parkers quick thinking. In his eagerness to get medical attention for them he hadn't considered the back story that would be required to keep them safe. He was now worried he would be expected to leave, there was no way he was going to leave her side for a minute.

The nurse looked at him "You have a nasty gash to the side of the head."

Virgil saw the an opportunity present itself for Scott to remain close to her and if he could do nothing else he was going to help him. He addressed the nurse still in full medic mode.

"It's the young ladies boyfriend, hit on the head by a flying rock in the explosion. He has a concussion and he has vomited twice on the transfer, he won't leave her side I assure you someone should take a look at him on the ward, I'm sure it's not too series but better safe than sorry."

The nurse started to lead Scott out of the room.

"Could you just give me a moment with our rescuer?"

"Of course, I'll wait outside." She turned to address Parker "I'll page one of my colleagues to take you to your nephew, he would appreciate some company. We'll let you know the minute we have news on your niece."

Parker left the room leaving Scott the time he wanted with Virgil.

"Thank you Virg."

"You'll have to argue your way to her bedside but got you in the right department at least."

"I didn't mean that and you know it. Virgil what you did out there for both of them, you kept it together in a war zone, I've seen trained military medics fall to pieces in the field and you were dealing with family. I froze if it wasn't for you Virgil… I think you should know you're in command while I'm here."

"Scott please don't."

"Virgil, I'm serious there is no-one I trust more with the safety of our family, Virgil look at me."

Virgil looked at Scott and allowed himself to be pulled into a hug, replying into his shoulder "Not much to command. Do you want us up and running again? I'll make One the priority, Brains and I will have her in full working order within a few days but we're three men down Scott, we'll be a limited resource."

"It's your call Virgil, I mean it. For the short term I'm pulling myself off missions and relieving myself of command I couldn't trust my decisions at the moment and I can't leave here until she wakes up."

Virgil pulled away and guided Scott to the chairs "Sit down for a minute Scott you need to understand something. I've gave her a drug to induce a coma. It's unlikely it will be reversed until the pressure on the brain is released, it may be hours, days or even weeks."

Scott processed the information and realised Virgil was imparting the best case scenario, something about his tone gave away the pain his brother was feeling.

"Virgil you did everything you could, I'll be here, for days, weeks or months however long it takes. You Virgil should all concentrate on finding that craft and work on how the hell we are going to find dad. He's alive you know, he wasn't in there when it blew, the more I think about it the more I am sure. Find him Virgil."

Virgil left with tears of relief in his eyes; Scott had absolved him from guilt and given him something to concentrate his energies on. His job was to return to North Island and commence the operation of recovering their losses, when it came to their hardware Two was going to be invaluable in the next few hours. Virgil found the pain of leaving his patients almost unbearable but someone needed to return everything back to the Island for repair. He resolved himself to his new task, they would need everything in their arsenal fully operational if they were going to stand any chance of finding their father and he would make sure that happened as quickly as possible.


	20. Chapter 20

Ch 20

The look on Vigil's face when he left haunted Scott's thoughts, he had acted every part the medic, he had accepted the responsibility given without question but there was something detached, emotionally he was shutting down. In other circumstances Scott would not have allowed him to leave, they would have talked it through, so much had happened in a short space of time that none of them had time to breathe let alone take everything in. They had left with one purpose, a supposedly easy retrieval of one of their own, the memory of the light-heartedness in Two's cockpit on the way to Port Gregory when they were certain they would be home together celebrating Kayo's return seemed surreal considering the outcome. He knew Virgil, he had admitted unnecessary guilt about his actions to save Kayo, Scott felt his brief chance to absolve him of his self-doubt was not nearly enough to convey how much difference his actions had actually made. There would be regret too that he had dropped Alan into the blast zone and not taken the jump himself, no matter that on a mission that would never happen. Scott's heart ached, Virgil was returning alone, the journey may be brief before Gordon would give him someone to turn his attention to but it would be plagued with remonstrations, then it hit him hard like a blow, Virgil had not once mentioned their father. He had accepted the new responsibility but talk about the impact of Kayo's statement over the comms, the usually open Virgil had said nothing. The sooner they could all be together the better, they were a family lost at three separate locations and Scott was certain that his family dealt with things best and healed each other when they were all together.

The walk to the ward seemed to take forever while his mind was consumed by the pain now inflicted on them all. The twists and turns on corridors decorated with coloured lines to indicate the route to the specialty they were guiding them to only served only to make the maze more complicated. The nurse pointed out the burns unit on the way, he made a mental note, yellow line back to Alan, back to a brother who needed him too. They followed the purple line in silence past several operating theatres and up one level in the lift before they made it to the second floor Neuro dept. Before he could set foot inside he took a deep breath, he had to deal with them one at a time, those in close proximity Alan and Kayo first, he would speak to the others as soon as he had something positive for them. The nurse took him into a side room, bright white in the artificial light and with a series of straight back chairs surrounding the walls, a less comforting room could not have been contrived by design.

"Take a seat; I'll get one of the ward nurses to check you over. Don't get your hopes up about being allowed to see your girlfriend tonight but I'll make sure that they keep you updated."

Scott took the seat offered and waited for the nurse, the wound was dressed and coffee offered but no fresh information, Scott began to pace something wasn't right, if she was here within metres of him surely some update would have been given. It was twenty minutes before she returned and Scott had paced the room none stop.

"Miss Parker is in surgery, you are welcome to wait here of course, we will let you know as soon as we have an update but she won't return here tonight."

Scott barely processed the information "Why? What do you mean?"

She took a seat and offered her hand in the direction of another, Scott stared at her but it seemed the game had to be played before any further information would be forthcoming. She advised him that Kayo had been taken to surgery immediately to release the pressure that was still building on her brain. The operation would be at least four more hours, after she would be sent to recovery on Surgical ICU. As she left he looked to his hands which were shaking and then to the clock on the wall which seemed now to have an amplified sound. Each tick served to irritate him as he waited for further news on Kayo, he paced again to relieve his tension and held himself back from marching to the nurse's station and demanding minute by minute updates. His eyes turned to the clock at regular intervals waiting for someone to interrupt him, half nine passed, Twenty Four hours since she had playfully straddled him and promised to call on him later that night. The nurse returned with another coffee and gave him a smile, she had sensed he was not about to leave the hospital any time soon.

Scott managed another half an hour before the wait was too much without distraction, he left his number with the nurses station and retraced his steps to check in with Alan and Parker, his mind had started to imagine the nurses sitting him down to tell him she hadn't made it. He needed company, he needed familiarity and he needed distraction, it occurred to him he owed a lot to Alan and so far he had been neglectful of his needs.

He couldn't help but return the smile of his youngest brother who was sat up in bed resting on one side while being attended to by a red headed nurse that had seemed to have made his enforced stay in hospital a little easier to tolerate. Parker had taken a seat by the door taking his body guard status seriously; he had been honed to pounce as soon as Scott entered.

"Hey Scott, how is she? I didn't expect to see you tonight."

"She's in surgery Al, nothing to worry about. Just gonna hang here with you for a while."

The nurse took her leave and Alan's gaze followed her out of the room much to Parker's amusement.

"How are you Al?"

"I'll be home to be nursed by Virgil before you know it, nothing wrong with me he can't cope with and I can't wait to get home. But I'll stay Scott until Kayo's ready I don't want you here on your own."

Alan winced as he shifted position and Scott took the chair beside him. He had so much to say to Alan, he owed him everything. Scott looked at his brother intently, his back bore the reddened scars of the burns which were glistening with the gel packs still applied to them soothing them with pain relief, keeping them sterile and replenishing the skin cells. The position Alan had to keep in bed to lay off them hindered by the plaster surrounding his broken leg. He could see the pain in his face and the determination in him not to let it show while he was in the room.

"Al I'm so proud of you, you don't know what we owe you for your actions out there."

Alan rolled his eyes "Scott I think you've forgotten what we do!" He gave him a wink "Where's Virgil?"

"He'll be back soon, he needs to get One and Four back to the Island and go rescue the castaways." Scott responded trying to keep his voice positive.

"They might not want rescuing" Alan responded with a grin which made Parker cough and Alan's face redden, reigning him in on his next statement.

Scott smiled and raised his eyes to check the clock on the wall, he had been diverted for twenty minutes, still he would rather be here than pacing the sterile environment of the relative's room on the Neuro ward.

"So Al, the redhead?"

"Kinda nice isn't she… Charlie." He smiled "And she's back on tomorrow, that will help to brighten the day."

"What's the doctor said Al?"

"Six weeks for the break while the nano's work their magic and the estimate includes physio, bet I'll be back on duty in eight."

Scott didn't want to dampen his spirits by arguing, he'd deal with that later for now the call was Virgil's if there was any duty to perform. They were interrupted as a different nurse entered and gave Alan a boost of pain medication which swiftly took affect and his eyes closed leaving Scott and Parker to discuss what both had experienced at the hands of the mechanical army.

Scott jumped as he received a call, glancing at the clock in alarm thinking it was the ward nurse who would be calling much too soon. It was Penelope wanting a detailed update on Kayo's condition for Virgil who was with them and agitated after leaving her in such a bad way. They chatted for a while, he was aware Penelope was trying to distract him from the wait for the operation to be completed. The shuttle she had found interested him but in a non-committal way it could not lead directly to the man that had orchestrated taking Kayo and may have his father, his energy was depleted after little sleep and the little he did possess he had to direct on his immediate concern. He listened as they confirmed they were going to lift it from the ocean and arrange for it to be taken back to the Island so Brains could try to ascertain who the likely technology belonged too. This jogged Scott out of his exhausted state as logical thought returned.

"The drones Penelope, not just the shuttle bring back anything left behind there are at least parts of three on the seabed, if we are keeping one thing from the GDF we may as well take the opportunity to know as much about our enemy as we can."

Penelope's holographic form gave him a weak smile "Do you want me to leave something for them."

Scott considered her suggestion "No, Penny we take what we can get."

Scott's only hope as he spoke to her was that one of the destroyed drones would give Brains enough to work on, a way of giving the Thunderbirds a chance against them when they crossed paths again. There was nothing more certain in his mind than this was the beginning and only luck had got them through the last encounter without the whole fleet being compromised. His eyes were at regular intervals in the conversation torn away from her and drawn to the clock willing it forward the few hours when Kayo would be out of surgery and he could see her again.

"I'm afraid Gordon had to release a body to the ocean, It is imperative the GDF don't get wind of this so please refrain from speaking to John about it until he's not within earshot of the Captain."

This shocked him from the clock and he understood that the detail of the body could not be divulged even to the Colonel.

"Understood. Where is John? I thought I would have heard from him by now."

He called in, Five's back in orbit, he's leaving her in the capable hands of the EOS and returning to the Island with the Captain until the Colonel comes to pick her up. Colonel Casey has to brief the GDF on the lost flier before she can take her home and the sooner the better, strangers have no place there. Oh and Scott you may wish order a replacement for Tracy One, Virgil says she's unsalvageable."

Gordon piped up in the back ground. "Ones up next after the shuttle's secured in Pod Four, I checked her over should be a quick fix."

Scott seemed not to notice the news that Gordon was imparting to try to cheer him up and take his thoughts away from the gloom of the hospital. They talked a little more each opening up a little about the news that had stunned them in the middle of the action, then Virgil broke up their conversation asking Gordon to return to Thunderbird Four to tow the shuttle away from the cliff face so he could commence the salvage before the GDF arrived to commence their investigation. Scott new in reality that the GDF investigation would include scanning the cave for signs of human DNA, he couldn't speak it out loud, they all had to believe he was valuable enough to be taken with them; the alternative was too much to bear. As the communication with Penelope and Gordon finished all he could think about was whether Kayo's monitor during her operation still showed signs of life. Resting Alan's hand in his he leaned forward on the chair his eyes fixed on the new enemy, the clock on the wall which slowly edged forward to the time he knew the operation should be completed.

…..

On North Island the mood had been somber but resigned to the task, the shuttle had been pulled free from the cliff and was being raised by Thunderbird Two while Penelope watched from the beach. Once it landed next to her they attached cables and pulled it up onto the ramp of Pod Four and the pod was reclaimed by Virgil. Gordon then returned to Thunderbird Four taking her once again to the stricken form of Thunderbird One attaching the cables so Virgil could raise her from the seabed. Once pulled clear of the ocean the water consuming her made its escape back to where it had come from and the bird was pulled under the belly of her sister. Everything they did was a mechanical action driven by necessity, the need to get the hardware home, the need to find anything within that shuttle that would indicate a destination to start the search for their father.

Virgil took his leave to return the remnants of the battle to Tracy Island leaving Penelope and his brother stood on the beach as he took to the sky and headed home. He had refrained so far from checking in at the hospital, he had received an update only an hour or so before but as he commenced his lonely journey home his thoughts were directed towards the two injured siblings he had left behind. It took all his strength not to check in with Scott but having heard the news that Kayo was in surgery he knew that the constant request for news would only serve as a cause of pain for the person who had to confirm there was nothing new to report. Flying home at a slower pace with the increased weight his bird carried the time seemed to pass by at a snail's pace, leaving him head space to consider the fall-out of the last few hours. His Grandma would have been informed by now by John that their father had been on the Island and they had allowed him to slip though their fingers. The pain that must be coursing through her system as she sat at home, processing the news of her injured grandchildren and lost son. Virgil wished he could wrap her in his arms but he would be dropping One off on the launch pad to be dragged into the hanger by Brains and handing over his cargo before returning to the Island to collect Four and her now two-man crew.

As the Island came into view he steeled himself knowing all he wanted to do was land and enter the comfort of the ring, John would be there now with the Captain and he hoped that John had managed to comfort their grandmother. As if sensing the turmoil building in the system of the pilot of Thunderbird Two, a gravelly and resilient voice broke over the comms.

"You've done a marvellous job son."

It was enough, the tears came he could barely speak through them "Grandma … I'm sorry …..we didn't stand a chance." He took a breath, his Grandma needed more from him than this "Whatever, whoever that is we will need more than the Thunderbirds to beat it."

"We have Brains…. go get your brother, come home. We'll face this together but Virgil he's alive. I knew it, I've always known it but now we have validation. We will bring him home never underestimate the Tracy's and you have nothing to be sorry about, John has told me everything and I couldn't be more proud of each and every one of you"

Virgil smiled through his tears at his Grandma's words as he took to the sky to return to North Island to bring as many of them back together as was possible. She never failed to set his mind at ease when he battled with himself, apart from Scott she knew him best and he left the Island with renewed strength generously delivered by her.

John and Captain O'Bannon sat in the ring as Grandma busied herself in the kitchen doing anything that would busy her hands and allow her brain to focus on menial tasks. The beer that John and Ridley had promised to share had been put on hold for another time and they distracted themselves chatting about life aboard a space station and sharing astronaut training stories, allowing John not to dwell on the failures of mission control on the Island. The Colonel had promised to pick her up within the hour and somehow the postponement of the beer for both meant a promise that they may see one another again. Their small tour of duty on five working together had brought a bond and camaraderie that had started to form a friendship and both needed a friend, both had single-mindedly forfeited any friendships to pursue their goal. Faced with a choice to form one both clung to the idea with the knowledge that this would not be based on the need of one above the other. They enjoyed the company but equally their solitude, the friendship was in its infancy but each knew enough about the character of the other to know that it would not be the all-consuming nature of friends that tell each other everything, they were neighbours in space for half the year, they would occasionally enjoy each other's company in a physical presence and regularly challenge each other in an intellectual one.

A simple shake of the hand and exchange of numbers was their parting shot, as two jets came into view landing at the airstrip where it had all started less than Twenty Four hours before. The Tracy jet the Colonel had borrowed was returned to the hanger and the Captain made her way to the smaller GDF private shuttle. John watched the Captain ascend the steps of the plane to commence her leave that would keep her from Global One for six months and he returned to the main house, wrapped his arms around his Grandmother and kissed her cheek.

"Do you need me to stay?"

"What do you need? Whatever you need I need."

"I want to spend some time looking at the satellite images, I'll come back later, I promise I won't fob you off with an excuse when the others get back."

"You certainly won't John Glenn Tracy or I'll come up myself and drag you down by your ears."

John laughed, she had a knack at delivering him from guilt about the time he chose to spend away from them. He wouldn't let her down but he couldn't be inactive even if he only had an hour or so back on Five, it was where he needed to be and she knew it.

…..

When Virgil left to stow the cargo Penelope was desperate to remain in the hands of International Rescue they both sat on the beach for a while in silence. She could tell that Gordon was gripped by thoughts of his father that were almost consuming everything, she rested a hand on his arm desperate to pull him free from bleakness that surrounded him and give him something to focus on.

"Gordon do you think you would mind another crew member there is something else we need do before Virgil returns."

He looked at her blankly trying to think of anything left in this back of beyond that could possibly help the situation they found themselves in.

"Gordon, look there are parts of at least three drones down there, it's time to launch a salvage operation of our own."

"You'd have to swim to Four fully clothed." He responded with a small smile appearing on his features at the thought of Penelope ruining her couture outfit on a mission that was in part to keep him occupied.

"I think if you remember I have not minded getting my clothes wet on a previous occasion."

His smile broadened as her remembered pulling her into the pool at the Island and the passionate kiss that followed.

"Ok then, you are my number two for the rest of the day, I assume you will be able to carry-out orders."

"Don't push your luck Gordon Tracy that would depend very much on what orders you are giving."

He equipped her with a re-breather and hand in hand they entered the ocean making the short swim to where Thunderbird Four was holding her position. They scanned the seabed and commenced the search for any part of a drone that lay to rest on the ocean floor. They had salvaged parts of two and the dead but fully formed drone that had drained power from FAB1 and were still in Four when Virgil's voice came over the comms confirming the pick-up and the pod was in the water awaiting their return. Gordon made a final scan of the ocean floor before he confirmed with Virgil they were ready to go home.

"How exciting." Penelope commented as she felt the pod containing them lift them from the ocean into the waiting belly of Two. Gordon took some blankets from the main body and guided her in the direction of the cockpit.

"You're living the dream." Gordon laughed taking the opportunity to kiss her before they entered the cockpit.

The trip to the Island was subdued each struggling to put into words the events that had taken place, the silence was broken by Scott confirming that Kayo had left theatre and would be transferred to ICU.

"Scott what have the doctors said?" Virgil countered needing to gain a picture of the severity of the outcome they may be faced with.

"Surgery went well, if she is strong enough to go back to the main ward tomorrow they will slowly take her off the sedative, they can't give a prognosis until she is awake. But Virg she's doing OK."

"Scott we will be with you tomorrow." Penelope confirmed sensing how lost he felt.

Scott broke the conversation as a nurse entered the relative's room to confirm he would be allowed to spend half an hour with the patient. With trepidation he rose from the chair clinging to the back of it until he was certain his legs would stay true and bear his weight. He was torn between the need to see her and the dread of seeing her unconscious, strapped to a multitude of equipment still fighting for her life, he hadn't lied to his brothers he just needed to give them the few hours ahead if all went well version. The next few hours would be critical and the true success of the operation could only be judged once the last dose of sedative left her system.


	21. Chapter 21

Ch 21

Scott's walk to the Surgical ICU Ward was accompanied by the small talk of a nurse that's nature was supposed to relax and comfort the relative but only served as an annoyance to him. He did not want to talk about how lucky it was for the patient that International Rescue were on the scene so quickly, or the nurses excitement when he had caught a glimpse of the Thunderbird Two pilot. If Scott could have got away with telling him exactly what he thought of the chatter without jeopardising his visit to see Kayo he would have enjoyed it. He was putting one foot in front of the other on automatic pilot, now following a purple and red line, while the incessant prattle of the nurse babbling in his ear turned into a drone he was barely listening to. The fear of what he was about to see took over; he had been here twice before, a goodbye to a mother when he was much too young to understand and a vigil over a brother who seemed broken beyond repair. The images danced in his head, drying his mouth and twisting his stomach into knots, he was led into a ward where in each of the beds was a person fighting for their very existence surrounded by machines and monitors which confirmed they still had a chance. Kayo's bed was the last in a long line, before he got close enough to take the chair at the side of it his heart was breaking and his head imagined that this view of her would be his final memory. When he last saw her she had been battered and bruised but seemed as though she was asleep, now with a tube and machine breathing life into her with a menacing hiss in rhythm with the rise and fall of her chest the seriousness of her condition started to sink in. Half her head covered with a bandage, a shaved portion of hair showing around her ear the indication of the fresh wound that had been necessary to save her life.

He leaned over the bed to kiss her forehead, took the chair at the side of the bed to hide the fact his legs had turned to jelly and he placed her hand in his. Scott's eyes darted between the face before him and the large monitor above her bed that beeped and alarmed at regular intervals, causing him to rise and get the attention of her nurse each time he heard its ominous call. It had been explained that the machine would do that every time it took her vitals and there was nothing for him to worry about but it still seemed a call for immediate action. He held her hand pressing it to his cheek wishing he could release his own life force into her and her eyes would miraculously open.

Within what felt like minutes Scott felt the nurses hand on his should telling him that his allocated visiting time was over, time was again turning against him, it had taken an eternity to get to her bedside and in the blink of an eye he was being told to leave. Even worse the earliest he would be able to return would be 11am the next day, this was foreign territory previously when any member of International Rescue had been injured in the line of duty there would be no visiting restrictions at the bedside, he felt an anger raging beneath the surface with no outlet for release.

He took a deep breath to take the edge away from his voice "Please just an hour more."

The nurse gave him a well-practiced sympathetic smile "I'm sorry, doctor's orders. Look at the time; you have already had nearly an hour with her, I have already pushed my luck allowing you to stay this long."

"A few more minutes." His eyes had joined his voice in their plea

"Ten minutes, then no more arguments." The nurse again placed a steady hand on his shoulder this time giving it a squeeze before leaving him with his precious reprieve.

This time he stood over her, whispering in her ear, not brave enough to talk because what he had to say was too raw.

"You had better fight for me Kayo, Virgil promised me you would fight don't let him down." He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand "I won't believe you love me if you don't." He kissed the spot his hand had just left "Don't you dare leave me you hear me." He looked at the nurse at the ward entrance now showing signs of impatience "They are kicking me out K…. I wouldn't leave you if I had a choice."

He resisted the urge to look back, took a deep breath and made his way to the entrance, thanking the nurse for the small consideration. The corridor outside was dimly lit and barren of life, lost with no real purpose or destination he made his way back to Alan's room to find that Parker had received the same fate. As he was no longer able to post sentry inside Alan's room he had resorted to standing guard at the entrance to the ward.

"How is he Parker?"

"Sleeping like a baby and Miss Kayo?"

"Stable. Whatever the hell that means."

"Lady Penelope will pull a few strings first thing tomorrow Master Tracy, her donation to the board should do the trick."

"We are buying access?"

"24 hour access, would you prefer standard visiting times? I was kicked out at 9pm,"

"No." Scott checked his watch, Parker had spent close to four hours stood in a corridor, if there was one person that was not going to feel the brunt of his frustration it was the close family friend whose sense of duty went above and beyond his expectations.

Parker sensed his loss of control weighing heavy on his mind "John has accessed their security systems and will keep his eye on things while we are forced into submission."

Scott cast a vague glance of recognition, with nothing else for it both men left the hospital in silence with no destination in mind, after the bright artificial light in the hospital walking out into the night air with a skyline decorated with a multitude of coloured lights felt surreal to them both. The office seemed a good prospect to Scott to provide a place in close proximity to hunker down in until they would be allowed to return but for the moment both men just walked. The noise of the city night, the laughs of the drunken partygoers, the sirens of the emergency services, the sound of the traffic all seemed muffled and distant while Scott was lost in his own thoughts. Parker was happy to keep company in silence, his mission while he was unable to keep a close eye on the youngest moved effortlessly into preserving the sanity of the eldest and he knew for now he needed time to himself, he would judge the time to intervene. They put a few miles behind them and without trying found they had unconsciously walked in a giant circle, Parker choose to orchestrate the opportunity to break the silence. He had caught sight of a brightly lit shamrock hanging over an inconspicuous doorway which posed the perfect ice breaker. Without a second thought Parker guided Scott in through the doorway, led him to the bar and ordered two double scotches.

"A hell of a day!" Parker declared stating a fact and draining his drink in one.

"Understatement of the year." Scott joined him draining his glass.

A further round was bought before they took a booth at the back of bar that was barely lit and well away from the hustle and bustle surrounding the bar. The second was drunk and the a third procured before either felt the release of tension the alcohol gave.

"One hell of an arsenal we faced today." Scott commented half-heartedly, with nothing else to say but the silence was no longer welcome.

"Bloody war zone."

"Know your enemy, don't they say Parker and we have no clue as to who the hell that was, we were completely blindsided and that bastard has my father."

Parker held his gaze searching for the eyes to betray the emotion the voice wasn't, the last statement had been spoken too half-heartedly, the tone almost deflated.

"But now we know now he has your father…. we are only one step behind. Before there was no search in place now we will never stop looking."

Scott didn't break the gaze "Yes Parker but where do we start looking."

"You leave that to me and Lady Penelope, we will find something."

A further round was brought to the table and in the artificial environment both shifted focus and were able to talk about the action of the day and its consequences without emotion tainting their response. Both were barely taking in their surroundings as the bar emptied around them, for now in this moment they were just two blokes nursing drinks talking about their shitty day.

"Be ready form 'im next time, 'e won't stay off radar for long. That army was not for his own amusement Master Tracy."

"Scott, the names Scott, Parker. You can drop the act with me you are every bit a member of this team and you know it."

The mood was not sombre, just the understated debrief of two men that had been to hell and back in the thick of the action and needed to process it. The drinks kept coming, with the adrenalin of the last twenty-four hours and on surprisingly little sleep both men seemed to have a surprising tolerance for the amount of alcohol drunk. As the last of their fellow drinkers disappeared in favour of a journey home or an all-night nightclub Scott rose to take a moment in private to make a call to the hospital. After it was confirmed that both patients we comfortable he decided to find a hotel close to the hospital in favour of subjecting Parker to an uncomfortable night on the office sofa and him in the chair.

When Scott closed the door of the hotel room, he felt the release that the solitude afforded, collapsed on the bed and closed his eyes as the scenes of the day played in his head. He was hounded by the feeling of the life draining out of his bird, the vision of his first sight of Kayo and Alan, the sound of the monitor alarm on Two, the whole day seemed to be whirling incoherently in his head. He knew sleep would not come he gave up showered then lay back on the bed for a while before attacking the mini-bar when the frustration of trying to switch off became too much. The first sip had barely passed his lips when he received a call from John.

"Scott how you holding up?"

"Better than Kayo ….better than dad."

"I've got EOS going through all comms traffic, all satellite photographs and documenting minute by minute all intel from the Island. We will find him Scott and we will bring him home."

"I wish I could believe you John, keep looking but John." The words were lost in the distance between them; he couldn't talk to him about this unless it was face to face. "John can EOS access the hospital records and give me a non-relative update on Kayo?"

"You think there is something they are not telling you?" John felt the deflection but chose to let it ride, Scott was on the brink and the conversation would be held on his terms. John's holographic eyes met Scott's, he wished he could be there in the room with him, re-assuring him, breaking up the destructive solitude enforced on him. He had too much time to think, one thing was certain John would ensure that every day from now on a member of the Tracy family would be with Scott until they were all back at the Island.

Scott stared back at him blankly considering the question "I think they reserve a certain language for relatives, John I need to know precisely what her patient records say now. Not comfortable … not stable, I need the details."

"OK Scott, accessing the hospital records won't be a problem, are you sure that it is not better to think of her as comfortable, there is a reason they use this language, Scott don't torture yourself."

"I need to know, I need something I'm certain of."

"Ok I'm on it."

Scott had barely time to down his drink before John contacted him back.

"She's holding her own Scott, the swelling has reduced dramatically and the notes indicate that the sedative reduction will be starting with the first dose of the morning."

Scott noticed his smile "Good news."

"I have better."

The last impersonal statement on the record brought the first smile to Scott's face since the journey from the coast of Australia in Two, John sent him the screen shot _'no longer to tie up ICU space, immediate transfer back to Neuro Surgical 9:00am'_

"Thank you John."

"Now get some sleep Scott, one of us will meet you at the hospital tomorrow, but Scott stop drinking and sleep."

…..

Even though sleep had evaded most of them for over twenty-four hours, they could not leave the ring until confirmation came that Kayo was out of surgery. Grandma had retired as soon as it was confirmed, desperate for he own space to process the news that her son was very much alive and in the hands of an unknown enemy. John's return to them had been brief and he went back to Five wanting to re-assess all the data on file, certain there was something of significance on record. He needed to be where he could be of use re-calling feeds from satellites, all photo's on record from the time the craft with his father left North Island looking for a match with its silhouette re-appearing anywhere on the globe. EOS had tried to insist he rest and let her take care of detail, John had no desire to rest, sleep was a luxury he couldn't afford, if there was something out there to find he would be the one to find it.

Brain's had not left his lab since Two had returned with the hardware, he had been astounded by the advances in technology since he had left a similar project years before International Rescue was conceived. Cambridge it seemed after all may be a key player, the patent had never been extended past its first six months of life, the full application lay somewhere unsigned of the desk of his old professor. No other body had made an application or even played with this technology since the costs spiralled with few buyers apparently interested in its capabilities on the corporate front. Now it seemed to have been developed as a weapon he was wondering who of his alumni had aided its transition. Virgil interrupted his musings placing a steady hand on his shoulder, insisting he leave the lab and get some rest. Reluctantly Brains turned the lights off in the lab and retired, time to think almost as important as time to tinker with the new found technology that felt familiar, sleep would be something that could wait.

Virgil considered the job done and he returned to the main room, he ghosted a smile as he saw Penelope resting in the arms of Gordon, he drifted over to the piano not wishing to invade their space but not ready to be alone. He drifted in and out of classical pieces at will not seeming to be able to find one to escape into. The fingers caressing the keys in forced action rather than the abandon of something that took over his soul. It was Scott that Virgil mourned for the most, Scott was his rock as much as he had always been his, he tried to recall a point in time when he had said that to him and too his dismay he couldn't, he suppressed the tears beginning to fill in his eyes, in the effort his fingers misplaced their position on the keys.

Penelope raised her eyes in Virgil's direction at the first missed note, she hadn't expected Gordon to notice and was surprised when he rose at the sound of the second walking over and enveloping his brother in a hug. They stayed locked together, clinging to the contact that comforted them both, before breaking apart and returning to the ring to sit together. Neither Gordon nor Penelope were prepared to leave him alone unless he directly asked for space or retired to take his own. When a short time later John imparted the news that Scott had asked him to obtain from the hospital, they all relaxed, kicking her out of ICU may just be the best news they has since they got her location confirmed. It seemed to lighten the mood a little as they processed the news, although one burden was lifting from their shoulders to be replaced by another, good news could still have an effect. Virgil left shortly after, able to leave company now he knew her life was no longer in the balance, they would have her or part of her back and he would take that over lost forever or worse. Within seconds of lying fully clothed on his fathers bed his body demanded rest and his brain complied.

Gordon knew he should rise first in favour of them both getting some sleep, he knew Penelope was waiting for him to retire not wanting to leave him on his own but he did not want to leave her and inviting himself to the guest room seemed a presumption too far. He reluctantly looked at his watch and allowed another ten minutes to indulge her being in his arms before he was going to do what he should have done an hour ago and let them both get some rest.

"Gordon." Penelope raised herself off his chest and turned to face him. "Gordon I don't think I can be on my own tonight could I sleep in your room?"

"Penny it's trashed, I'll keep you company in the guest room you don't have to be alone."

"It has to be your room Gordon, I don't know why but I'll sleep better in your room."

"At least give me ten minutes to make it more habitable."

"It really doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

He kissed her on the cheek and left to make good on his promise, he could have kicked himself, of course she wouldn't want to go back to the room she was in when Kayo was taken. She would be blaming herself that they had chosen to go to bed before nine and she hadn't taken the last look at Catherine at eleven she had insisted upon the night before. God he felt ignorant, she had been carrying a guilt that so far he hadn't, her pain was now his as he realised the burden she'd placed on herself. A tentative knock at the door jolted him back to the present, the door opened and Penelope walked in.

"I really can't be on my own."

He gave her a wink accompanied by a grin "You don't ever have to be."

He walked over and brought he into his arms led her to the bed, sat her on the edge took off her shoes, swung her legs round and supported her upper body down to the mattress kissing her forehead. He walked round the other side, kicking his shoes off as he went, climbed into bed and pulled Penelope into his arms.

"Did you hear me Penelope? you don't ever have to be on your own again."

"And I love you for it." She kissed him gently on the lips and turned on her side into him "I'll always love you for it."

He leant over her and kissed her back, stroking her face. "I won't give up, Penelope."

"Then I love you even more for that." She smiled and nestled into his shoulder and closed her eyes.


	22. Chapter 22

Ch22

When Scott woke in the hotel room in Perth it took him a few seconds to comprehend where he was, the foreign surroundings were taken in through blurry eyes, a dull throbbing behind his temples in conjunction with a dried throat begging for hydration did nothing to aid the initial confusion. The drone of the air conditioning heightened the misery, his clammy skin begging for the cooling draft but the noise waging war behind his eyes. Slowly the reality started to kick-in; the threads of memory were now building a picture of what had brought him here and did nothing to quell the nausea as his eyes fought to allow the light to enter. He checked his watch, frustrated to find he still had a few hours before the hospital had advised he could return. He raised his head from the pillow the effort left him groaning, the alcohol from the night before squeezing his brain and sending waves through his stomach. His immediate response was to gently lie back into the position where he had felt no immediate desire to spill its contents but now he was awake there seemed no let up from the banging inside his skull. His one coherent thought was he had to make contact with the hospital, with his eyes closed in a desperate attempt to regain control he searched across the bedside cabinet with one hand blindly flailing trying to find his phone, the lamp toppled as his hands grasped an empty space. He rose too quickly at the sound of phone calling for attention and his head span, he zeroed in on the dull buzz which he found had been resting underneath the pillow next to where he had slept and he was greeted by a text from John.

 _Last observation on record 8:10, stable condition and on the porter list for transport back to the ward….. hope you listened to your little brother and got some sleep._

Scott smiled, just the kick start he needed to stop the wallowing misery and start the slow attempt to recover from the self inflicted torture. Forced hydration and the shock of a cool shower enabled him to make the start to the morning a little more tolerable. John even from the heavens looked after them all, without knowing it John had delivered exactly what he needed to focus on, those the hospital; waiting seemed an unnecessary action that would serve only to add to the building frustration of being dumped in a situation without any control over it. First, as clarity returned bit by bit he doubted whether his brother had taken up his own advice, if he knew John he would be close to burning-out. He thought of John now faced with a new solitary burden of responsibility, a search to find anything that would allow them to take a direct action. He knew the devastation that every failed avenue of enquiry would inflict, he would be plagued by frustration that would have built over hours of solitude solely focused on the task he would feel was his duty to them all. He knew would need to be ordered to stop, given permission he wouldn't allow himself to take a break and recharge his energy.

The call was answered within seconds "Thanks John."

"You didn't think I'd just check the once now I am in patient records, Al's fine had a good night. I think if we can get them a name of a doctor who will be responsible for his care they will let him home in a couple of days, I can't see anything on his notes that Virgil can't cope with" The voice answering portrayed none of Scott's fears, sounding far removed from that he had imagined although he knew the light tone had been adopted to protect him from additional anguish.

"Penelope should be able to help with the doctor…..….. John, get some sleep."

"I have." The voice now wavered betraying the fatigue.

"John you're lying. Do I need to speak to EOS to get your heart rate over night?"

"I'll get some sleep after I let the others know how they are."

"I'll be checking."

"I'm sure you will."

Scott checked his watch after terminating the call and decided rather than disturb Penelope he would chance his luck and see if his naturally persuasive charm could get him an early visit. He figured a solitary attack the best plan of action so left Parker undisturbed at the hotel while he rehearsed a game plan for persuading the receptionist to come round to his way of thinking. On entering the foyer he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Parker showing no ill effects from the night before holding his own conversation at the reception desk. He walked up stunned as he overheard Parker demanding he speak to the hospital CEO on behalf of Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward. The already flustered receptionist seemed to be struggling to get past her colleague providing a PA barrier to her actually getting the message where he was insisting it be delivered. Scott put a hand on Parkers shoulder and relieved the receptionist of her headset despite her protestations and her final threat to call hospital security.

Scott placed his finger to his lips and headset to his ear "I suggest you pass on the message, if they are not interested they will tell you, I suspect if the message is not passed on it will be the end of their career and yours with it."

They waited by the stunned receptionist while the message was delivered and within minutes they were escorted to their respective wards and given a full update on each patient as they walked. Scott doubted this was the usual behaviour greeting relatives, Penelope had bought free reign and it seemed that money could still make a difference even at the most basic level of need. International Rescue never made decisions on that level and he regretted the lack of ethics that it had taken to get him his goal but at no point did he consider declining the additional privileges. Penelope had allowed him unrestricted access to Kayo's beside and he didn't intend to spend another night in that hotel room unless Kayo herself told him to get lost. Following the now familiar purple line, his mouth dried as the image of her the night before returned, the Kayo he would be faced with was someone he didn't recognise; the firebrand quenched in the hell of the last few days.

He was left outside her door, with polite platitudes, if there was anything he needed he should just ask. He barely glanced back at the escort, such an ineffective comfort, what he needed was Kayo fighting fit and on her way home, he took a deep breath and entered to take up his post at her bedside. His eyes rested in turn on the monitors, the IV, the catheter bag and came to rest on her face with the breathing tube still in charge of the rise and fall of her chest. Slightly raised up on the bed, her eyes closed, her dark hair limp round her shoulders, part of her head shaved and bandaged. He knew that there was much more hidden beneath, for a moment he couldn't move paralysed by sensory overload as he struggled to take in everything he saw in the room.

The door opened behind him and the doctor entered holding out an extended arm.

"Hello, Mr?"

"Scott,"

"I'm Doctor King." The doctor clasped the waiting hand offering a limp handshake.

"Sit down Mr Scott."

Scott took the seat directed barely taking in the words the doctor was imparting… craniectomy…. pressure reduced in the brain stem. He heard him confirm the sedatives were to be reduced, all the time the words were swimming round his brain as he struggled with the reality they presented. If Virgil were here he would have got the information he needed and been able to focus on it and understand the exact implications of words.

"Mr Scott. Do you understand?

Scott stared at him blankly.

"Mr Scott, Miss Parker will be off the sedatives by tonight, if she is not awake within six hours of the last dose she will no longer be referred to as being in a medically induced coma she will be in a coma and it will not be within our control to bring her out of it."

He heard him but the comprehension of the news imparted still did not sink in as directly linked it to the face in the bed his eyes had been focused for the whole conversation "I understand doctor, thank you."

"Talk to her, play music let her know you are here. I'll be back in a few hours with her next medication and to do another scan."

Scott pulled the chair to the side of Kayo's bed before sitting he leant over her kissed her as close to the lips as the intubation tube would allow. She could have been sleeping, the rise and fall of her chest was slow and steady. He knew he was hours from when the doctor hoped she would open her eyes but his first words were in hope of a miracle.

"Come on Kayo open your eyes. Kayo its Scott, we found you. Come back to me. Kayo please anything let me know you can hear me."

He pulled the chair as close to the bed as he could and took her hand in his pressing it to his lips. Hours passed before the instinct to talk to her took over, eventually filling the silence by telling her about the search and the technicalities of the job Alan had done on the relay. Imparting the search they had all taken part in, the travelling Penelope had done, he stopped occasionally to study her closely looking for any reaction from her no matter how small. Discouraged, he spent time just lying next to her, before he carried on telling her about the drones and his rescue by Gordon, including his comment about the shark. When finally he had run out of things to say, he searched his phone for music putting on the Hunky Dory album Kayo found so irresistible and closed his eyes.

…

Penelope woke in a tangle of Gordon's limbs refreshed from a few hours' sleep and the distance now put between her and the events the day before. Clarity returned there were things that needed doing before she could indulge in the trip to the hospital to see her friend. She needed to speak with both John and Brains and she must not lose sight of the fact that if they came up with any lead no matter how small she was the one who would follow it up. If they had anything at all then she and Parker would leave Perth together, she trusted few people in her line of work and would not risk anything happening to Jeff because she had given intel to the wrong contact.

She looked at Gordon and smiled as his gentle snores rose in his throat, it saddened her that the promise she had made to him to stay at the Island for a while may have to be broken. He would understand but their recent closeness was about to become tested by separation. She had always known the time would come for her to leave she just hadn't expected it to be soon. She watched him sleep, entranced by his relaxed features and hypnotised by breathing. She kissed him on the lips desperate to make every minute she had with him count, she felt his arm round her back and pull her closer.

"Is this my re-match?"

"Ever the romantic Gordon Tracy."

"Maybe I'll stop talking and see where that gets me."

He looked at her for a moment and sensed that she was substituting what she wanted to say for a physical connection.

"Penny."

"I thought you were going to stop talking."

"but Penny."

"Gordon kiss me before I completely give up on the idea."

…

Virgil had risen from a fitful sleep in his father's bed, his need to be there was to give him hope that the space he had claimed for comfort would soon be filled by its owner, a father he had long given up hope of seeing again. He spent the first hour airing and cleaning the room, enjoying the freedom from the burden of thought the physical task gave, acknowledging a physical promise his actions symbolised, that the room would be occupied again. By the time he had finished his head was clear enough to make contact with John, who updated him on the medical status of the patients and then briefed him on the tech he had in place on the search. John asked him to stay with Scott, the worry for his brother evident in his voice but before he was prepared to leave the island he wanted to make sure that Thunderbird One was well on its way to full repair. He made his way to the hanger to deal with repairs in the cockpit allowing a little more breathing space before facing anyone else in the family. Brains had had a team of robotic arms making the repairs to the external damage overnight and it looked like within a day or two she would be back in service. Brains had been dividing his time between overseeing the repairs and stripping out the shuttle's data recorder and taking a look at the drones. Virgil had suppressed the need to question him when he joined him in the hanger, Brains would speak when he had something concrete, theories were something he would not indulge them in while the stakes were so high, when Brains was ready to deliver fact they would all be informed. They worked in silence both using the repairs to Thunderbird One and FAB1 as a way to feel they were doing something when they had family members left behind. They were called from their toil by Grandma who insisted that they all take a meal together; she had summoned John from Five. For her it was time to talk and look at what they did know, if she had learnt anything in the search for Kayo it was that they would all play their part. The meal was placed in front of them and they took their seats as she took the head of the table and held court.

She looked at Virgil before starting "Technology Brains, Do we have anything concrete from their hardware?"

"It's s…similar to something I f…first worked on in C…Cambridge but was not v...viable, the c…cost out-weighed its use."

This perked Penelope's interest, she stopped pushing the food around her plate and looked up and noticed hers weren't the only set of eyes now looking at Brains. "It's intended use?"

"R…replace robotic arms in the decommissioning process on n…nuclear p…power stations. S…speed up removing the r…rods but there was no p…profit to back its use, doing the job more quickly and s…safely did not entice the p…people holding the purse strings."

"And those we retrieved."

"The c…core p…processor is the s…same but the protocol has changed, they are p…programmed to destroy, the d…design has evolved they are c…capable of absorbing any power source."

John joined the conversation "And that ship had more than stealth technology; she was fully cloaked, disappeared no without a trace, no visual, no communications. The last indication was a blip on the map that disappeared 500 miles to the north west of North Island."

"W….we are the only ones with that c…capability."

"Not anymore." John countered looking around the table and noticing Brains pushing his glasses up his nose, John would discuss with him later his thoughts that his dad's vessel may have provided the technology, he could swear the self-same thought had just crossed his mind as the scientists eyes caught his own.

Penelope sensed that the discussion needed to focus on something more positive, guess work would not help them but Brain's link to the technology might.

"I will travel to see Kayo then Parker and I will follow up in Cambridge. Brains I will need the names of anyone involved in the project either funding or hands on and I will personally make enquiries."

She noticed Gordon's eyes on her, he looked resigned to the news he had just received, she would talk to him on her own later for now this was a briefing room and the brief as far as she could see was not to let too much time pass before they started the search in earnest. Talk was good, they could all talk and ideas would pass back and forth but finding the link between the mechanical army, the man who created it and who sold on the technology would be her starting point.

Virgil had been quiet through the exchange as he processed the information that was being presented, absentmindedly playing with the food in front of him as he listened. The burden of making decisions to guide their next actions left him nauseous, if his hunch was right and the let-up in rescues was just about to end as the mechanical army waged war to get them into the open again his next statement would push his brothers to the limit.

"We are out of action for 48 hours while we support Scott and Alan, we work on the best protection for the birds in the meantime and then we are back on duty." He looked over at Grandma and John needing affirmation from them, would Scott have had them on duty straight away or pulled them from duty until further notice. He would second guess about what Scott would do until he saw him. "Today we will all go to the hospital."

Grandma looked at him and gave him a smile "I'm proud of you son, your dad would be proud of you. Family first."

Brains passed Penelope a list as he rose to return to the hanger, choosing to remain focused on the repairs and investigative work in the lab. Penelope rose to make preparations to leave her mind already in England, trying to think of who best to trust in her network to start asking questions closer to home she found the only person she could trust without question was her Aunt. The list Brain's had supplied her brought up a few names that now held positions of power and she could see that the leads from Cambridge may pull up some surprising finds, her Aunt no doubt would relish the return to active duty. Gordon had followed her with his eyes as the realisation of a separation dawned on him. He had always known that Penelope would not stay on a permanent basis but he had hoped the need for her to leave would not be so soon. He had clung to the hope her promise about staying until Kayo returned would be kept but that was then. They now had to do everything in their power to understand any connection to the man who had his father and he knew that Penelope would not allow him to distract her. He had always loved that about her, dedication to a cause whatever it may be, it may very well be what he most loved about her and he wouldn't be making it any more difficult for her than he had to. He waited for the others to call time on the meeting and made his way to the guest room.

"So we have one more night in Perth." Gordon uttered as he entered the room where he saw Penelope had nearly finished her packing.

"Until the next time." She barely looked up from the task in hand that she used to mask her regret that their parting could not be taken at leisure.

"You are always welcome here." Gordon walked up to her putting his arms around her waist to turn her to face him.

"And you are always welcome at mine …..well with 24hours notice." She smiled at him as his face turned into a grin.

"Twenty-four hours, you must really like me it used to be a week." He pulled her into an embrace.

"Don't push it or I'll make you wait for an official invitation." She retorted trying to keep the humour that was disguising how they both felt. "And someone will need to return FAB1 after her repairs, the sooner the better we may need her."

Gordon's smile illuminated his face "As Two's all mine until Scott returns it looks like I'll be seeing you in a few days."

He carried her bags to the hanger wondering if he was past the point where he would be happy to see her a few times a month, in a few days he had come to realise that he now wanted more than maybe she was prepared to give. They had come so far, their relationship had blossomed under stressful circumstances and he started to fear that Penelope returning to her reality may return them a casual state.

…

When the light returned to Jeff Tracy's eyes he was again behind a locked door but now in the company of a woman who was staring at him through glass. There was a haze in his head but he recognised her face, she had briefly shared his space before. The memory triggered was of her unconscious being thrown in with him, his brain made a link with her and he pictured clearly his old cell. This served to playback the last memory of his captors and a man with blue eyes who had haunted the drug induced dreams that were slowly returning to him. Jeff rose and paced backwards and forwards concentrating on the face he felt was of importance, he knew him but from where. He saw a smile, which shifted into the image of a boy with the same eyes and smile looking up to him, holding his hand, beside him another boy, younger but nearly as tall as him with strawberry blond hair. There was no recollection of names, no certainty but he had a feeling from the love in their eyes as they looked at him he was their father. He stopped in his tracks and the woman momentarily found him of interest then looked away, Jeff took a seat, leant his head back and closed his eyes. Picturing the children trying to force indistinct connections to other memories, each new image seemed part of a cruel delusion. He was not certain if it was fantasy or reality but he saw more boys and then the man with the blue eyes again this time delivering a name which crept onto his tongue and needing to validate it he spoke it out loud.

"Jeff Tracy." He opened his eyes and looked at the woman who was eyeing him with curiosity. He smiled at her and walked up to the glass with a defiant look in his eye not caring if she could hear him or not "I have a name and its Jeff Tracy."


	23. Chapter 23

Ch23

Each knew the journey to Perth was to serve to physically reunite them all as a family before they would be separated as each took on a role to help in the new search. Soon they would each face their own battles but for the rest of today they would face everything as one unit. It was 2:30pm when the Thunderbird Two touched down at Garden Island, as soon as they entered the waiting vehicle Tracy Industries had arranged for them they each settled in quiet contemplation about what they would be faced with when they got to their destination. They had negotiated with the hospital that they could have half an hour all together and in that half an hour Grandma hoped it would be enough to heal the emotional wounds and focus them all on what was important, it was clear to her that the battle and its aftermath needed exorcising from their minds with the simple reminder that they had always been and always would be there for each other.

The journey to the hospital was taken in silence; John tapped irritably at the dash in front of him as each communication with EOS brought no fresh data in the hunt for a location. She informed him Brains had loaded the on-board data recorders from the Shuttle and they were not providing intelligence of any significance. He was keenly aware he was torn between the necessity to see his brother and sister and the desperate need to be back on Thunderbird Five directing the search, the guilt that accompanied that admission to himself made him sink slightly in his chair. He reasoned EOS worked on instruction, the AI had a certain symbiotic state with him, she could second guess the next instruction and beyond if it was a logical progression but free thought, the eureka moment would come from him and every minute away from control seemed a minute wasted. He dropped the mirror and looked at the faces of Grandma, Penelope and Gordon in the back all staring vacantly out of a window. The three of them together in physical presence but lost in their own private hell, he knew they were each dreading what they would soon see; it was one thought he was trying his hardest to ignore but failing miserably. His gaze turned to look at Virgil behind the wheel his hands unusually clasping the wheel like his life depended on it. John sensed the turmoil inside, he felt the same, in a few minutes they would be faced with the pain of two more brothers and he recoiled as his mind flashed back to the few minutes before and after the explosion. As he took longer to study the faces in the vehicle surrounding him he could sense the same nightmare in each, they were all still haunted by visions they hadn't shared. As they reached the entrance to the hospital he noticed each and every one of them taking a deep breath and finding a face suitable for facing the family members inside.

Penelope looked at her watch; Kayo's penultimate dose had been an hour earlier, by ten the countdown would begin. As she walked following the masses paying no real attention to direction and she dwelled on the journey she soon had to make, the hardest thing she would have to do would be to leave before her friend woke up. The desire to see her awake was two-fold, her heart had broken when she had heard of her condition, she was her closest friend but equally Penelope couldn't fail but be desperate to speak to the only primary witness. What Kayo had seen had been brief that was clear from the recordings she had listened to over and over again but Kayo had an eye and everything it had taken in needed to be understood.

They all stopped outside Alan's ward, Grandma looked at them one by one adopting a pose of authority. "We are here for him, we do not pass on our fears and we re-assure him the search is underway if he asks. We get him well and home first before we discuss this in detail… Understood boys?"

Virgil walked over and held her hand "And if he asks the right questions do we lie."

"No Virgil if he asks the right questions I will answer them."

Virgil looked at her, a stronger woman would have broken under the strain and this woman in the face of adversity still had the inner strength to take control and think about the things that mattered. John took the lead on the walk down the corridor, the desire to see Alan overwhelmed him now they were in close proximity, he remembered the feeling when he realised he'd allowed his little brother to descend to his near death, he still heard the sound of the explosion and felt the fear of the moments of silence afterwards.

The broad grin that greeted him as he rounded the door brought a smile instantly to his features.

"Johnny." The delight in the voice could not be mistaken, Alan's need for the friendly faces entering the sterile, loveless surroundings of his room brought a sigh of relief from him and his tears soon formed. "Johnny you came, I thought you would stay on Five."

"Right here Al, it seems a serious injury is the way to get me to visit, hope Grandma's not taking notes." He turned to face her and give her smile, noticing the faces surrounding them had also found the bedside state, a suppression of the blackness surrounding them, all of them digging deep to find a little lightness for Alan.

Virgil was the first to walk over to his bedside, taking the chair turning it 180 and sitting casually with his stomach pressed against the seat back. "So Ali how's the pain level."

"Geez Virg I got plenty of medics checking my pain level, you can ask me back on the Island until then you are just my brother." Virgil instantly knew what he had done and regretted it; the barrier of the chair was his deflection. The look from Alan pained and puzzled at the lack of contact from him hurt, he instantly saw the dark thoughts and guilt were his own, he had dropped him into that hell hole but Alan's eyes seemed to plead for contact and were as far away from apportioning blame as they could be.

"Virg ….. Virg." Tears started to fall fully down his cheeks, Virgil looked at him ditched the chair and pulled him into a hug. John stood beside him with Gordon on the other side of the bed. He took in the smiles on their faces, he breathed a heavy sigh as he sunk into Alan's shoulder, he had been right they all needed this.

"Not so tight Virg, backs kinda sore." Alan complained as he winced and took a sharp intake of air but the release of tension was apparent.

Virgil jumped back, immediately regretting the bear hug. "Sorry Al…. What's the doctor said?"

He laughed, slightly shrill and a little forced "You just can't help yourself can you Dr Virg ….If I gotta name of a reputable doctor to take care of me then I can be outta here in two days." He stopped as he remembered Kayo "I'm not going anywhere while Scotty needs me though."

Grandma rounded the bed and planted a kiss on his forehead; she tried to hide her expression of horror at the now tight scars on his back, red welts with wetness glistening off them. The scars would heal, she knew that, the gel had started its work to replace the damaged skin cells, the wounds would heal in weeks but his emotional state concerned her. He had shed tears when he saw them she knew they were born from relief, his face told a tale of suppression and he hadn't so far asked about his father. When the doctors were ready to release care of him to Penelope's fake charge he would be coming home with her and they would take it in turns to look after Scott. She studied his features, Alan was buoyant now in the arms of his family but once the shock had dissipated and his inability to help directly while he was injured kicked-in she fully expected Alan to regress into a small frightened boy just as he had when her son had first gone missing.

For now the mood at the bedside was light, while their father was not mentioned by Alan they were happy just to surround him with love and keep him as distracted as they could. The agreed time for a bedside visit to Kayo approached and he would need all his strength just to make the move to the ward. She smiled proudly at his determination to show that he was not the one to worry about insisting he could make the move on crutches and not in a chair. He was resolved that when Scott saw him he would be something to make him smile, he had been assured by them that Kayo should come round overnight if all was well but he was certain Scott would need a small Tracy victory in the meantime. It had been decided by Grandma that although they would all be in one room at some point in the evening they would not descend on Scott en mass, Gordon, John and Parker would remain with Alan and assist his slow walk to the ward and she would accompany behind pushing a chair out of view in case he needed it. Virgil and Penelope would make the visit first and they would all join them in an hour.

Penelope rounded Gordon grazing her fingers across his hand as she made her way to Alan, kissing his cheek as she leant over she whispered to him.

"I am proud of you Alan, we all are." And she walked away from the bed she linked Virgil's arm and left the others to prepare Alan for his first venture off the ward.

It took only a few minutes for them to make the walk to the lift, each in silence a burden still weighing on them both which would only release for Penelope when the amber green eyes of Kayo's opened and they had her back. Penelope deeply regretted that by tomorrow evening she would be half way round the world but if there was a way of making up for her earlier mistakes she would take every chance she had. Jeff Tracy was alive and on this planet somewhere, she just needed to find out who the hell they had been up against today and the technology he possessed started its infancy in Cambridge. Virgil's burden had shifted from initial guilt which was now displaced by having command of a situation he had no control over. He needed Scott to tell him what to do from here, what the right call was, so far he had nothing positive to give him. As the lift doors opened to the first floor Virgil grabbed her hand and led her out as she looked at him the pain in his eyes was evident.

"We've got them both back Virgil, it will be enough for Scott for now."

Virgil looked at her as they walked to the ward entrance and stopped. "It will have to be Penny it's all I've got for him." the disappointment was evident in his voice and Penelope had little to give him that would ease the strain showing heavily on his features, she had never seen his eyes so dulled and the strain mapped so obviously onto his brow .

She took both of his hands in hers "You're giving him you Virgil, you being there with him tonight will be enough."

A nurse came to escort them to the room imparting pleasantries but little medical detail on the short journey to the door to Kayo's room, she left them to enter alone.

"The doctor will be in shortly to give you the latest treatment plan, please tell Mr Scott to look after himself, he's not left her bedside since he arrived this morning and he is not looking after himself."

Virgil placed his one hand on the door and looked at Penelope both of them aware Scott would fight them all the way if they tried to get him to leave and take a break.

"You go in first, I'll get some supplies, he can't argue if he doesn't have to leave leave the room."

Virgil smiled at Penelope grateful for the offer, he pushed the door open tentatively, he needed Scott more than Scott needed him he was sure of it and that was not what he was here for. His eyes first fell on his sister, slightly raised on the bed, the equipment he knew, everything attached to her, his brain could process but the sight of his sister and the physical representation of the hell she had faced twisted his gut and stole air from his lungs. Now there was no need for him to act to assist in her fight for survival his resolve to be strong for Scott waivered and tears sprung in his eyes which he fought to keep in check before his brother caught them. Scott had not seen him enter; he smiled as he noticed him practically on the bed with her fulfilling his need to be as close to her as he could. A few moments passed before Scott processed the fact that someone had entered the room, his senses made impotent by the exhaustion of the past few days and the wait for his miracle. Scott's eyes eventually left her face and came to rest on Virgil catching him steadying himself in the doorway, powerless to move any closer without invitation.

The smiled that greeted him was more than enough "Hey Virg, you coming over, got to talk to her and I'm running out of interesting things to say, guess she knows I love her by now." He gave a small hand signal of encouragement for him to come closer and raised himself off the bed and took the chair. "Go on Virg talk to her, tell her to wake up and give us all hell."

Virgil laughed with him "Oh she'll give us hell alright."

They sat either side of the bed comfortably talking over her and to her, telling her that the rest of the family were only minutes away. Neither discussing the events on the Island apart from that they were all safe, daring not to let any dark thoughts invade her room while she fought for light. Penelope hung back in the doorway watching them, giving herself a moment to process Kayo and her condition and collect herself before she entered the room; she passed coffees and bagels around and took a seat beside Virgil. Scott looked a shadow of his former self, his eyes greyed and his complexion sallow and chin unusually sporting stubble. This may not be the time or place for celebration but when her friend woke up she was damn well going to make sure that she didn't wake and instantly worry about him, a call to Parker and she would have him ship shape in no time.

They both watched entranced as Penelope flew effortlessly into one sided conversation with Kayo.

"Well my friend it seems you gave them a run for their money, from everything I've heard they barely captured you at all. You have to wake up tonight … I will be going away soon and you know I don't thrive on gossip second hand. Your story Kayo, I need your story and I think you know why."

She raised her eyes to meet Scott and Virgil's and gave them a smile. "I hope you have been keeping her entertained with more than pleas for her to be OK." She looked back to Kayo "If these boys have been boring you please be sure to let me know…. I have a wager with Parker you will be awake before six please don't disappoint me you know I hate to lose"

Their eyes were all drawn to the door as the others entered one by one, Virgil and Penelope stepped back to help Alan onto a seat and give a little room for the others to feel close to her. Penelope took the opportunity to take the small wash bag from Parker and round on Scott.

"She has enough to keep her entertained, go and make yourself look like the Scott Tracy she's in love with. I don't want the first thing that poor girl sees when she wakes is you in your current state." She smiled at him "Go on, the bathroom's only there, take her breath away when she wakes up."

Scott looked round at his family, he could never be more proud of them; all pulling together fighting their own torment and the sight of Alan struggling in on crutches brought a lump to his throat. Then his eyes caught sight of John following behind Gordon, it was almost too much he had a new search to start but he had come down for Kayo and his need to pull them all close took over. He may have dumped field commander duties on Virgil but he was the eldest, Penelope was right they all needed Scott Tracy back and he would start by looking like himself. Before acting on Penelope's vanity project he pulled each of his brothers into an embrace one by one and then he walked to the bathroom and closed the door allowing tears to fall in the privacy of his own space.

The face in the mirror he barely recognised, he filled the bowl with cold water and stuck his head in it. Immersing and then pulling the water down over his hair, he took out contents of the bag, shaved, brought his mouth back to life with mint and smiled as he saw his favourite aftershave; Penelope it seemed could arrange the smallest of details with very little time. When he looked back in the mirror he appreciated the difference and the small kindness of his friend that had brought him back, determined now to return to his role as temporary head of the household he took a deep breath and re-entered the room. His eyes no longer betrayed the pain of the last few hours, they needed this time together and for Scott they had all given him exactly what he needed. He watched his younger brother expertly deflecting his fatigue in the arms of his family, his face had greyed and the pain he was feeling was evident in his features. It was a relief when the doctor entering indicated that the time for a large number of visitors had been indulged for as long as he would accept, he looked at Alan's head nodding and indicated to John to move him into the wheelchair for a ride back to his ward.

The Doctor had conceded to two at Kayo's bedside overnight Virgil requested that he stay with Scott. The others would return with Alan, John had insisted that he be the one to stay with him overnight, Penelope booked the others into the hotel and they promised they would return in the morning before Penelope and Parker took their leave. In just half an hour a little healing has already taken place and Grandma took in the view of them all together already reaping the emotional rewards for the visit.

As he watched the others leave Virgil pulled the chair round from the other side of the bed and placed it next to Scott's for their overnight vigil. They sat for a while in silence, slept fitfully in small busts while constantly disturbed by the sound of nurses making their checks. By 4am they both gave up on the idea of gaining anymore sleep and Scott held Kayo's hand and Virgil rested his hand on her leg stroking it.

"Scott, did I do the right thing? Should I have stayed to rebuild the fleet and help Brains?"

"Virg… You shouldn't have to ask, you know what we need and we need to be together right now. You're the right person in the right job making the right call. Virgil, I would have brought the whole family here, Dad would have. If one of us needs something we give it. Thank you Virgil I….."

He stopped abruptly mid-sentence, not sure if he had imagined the touch that filled him with hope.

"What's wrong Scott."

"Kayo, she squeezed my hand."

"You sure?"

"Take her hand Virgil." Scott rose and walked to the other side of the bed unfazed by his audience, he took her face gently in his hands and kissed her cheek pleading with her "Come on Kayo, we are here, time to wake up now."

"She squeezed it." Virgil exclaimed "Keep talking to her."

"Come on Kayo, Kayo … Its Scott and Virgil, we're here for you we're not going anywhere."

Her eyes briefly opened Virgil jumped up to the controls on the back of the bed and dimmed the lights to stop their impact on her as she fought through her own darkness.

"Scott I'll get the nurse and then go tell the others, I'll be back soon." He saw the tears in his brothers eyes "Scott you've got her, just tell her everything she needs to hear." He pulled his brother into a hug and left the room, once outside he took a moment to gain control before going in search of the nurse.

Her eyes flickered again and Scott's eyes never left her face, watching her intently waiting for her to be able sustain his gaze. The squeeze came again to his hand, he brushed her hand with his lips "come on K come back… Kayo I love you." He dropped his head onto her chest feeling the rise and fall, lifting again and seeing her tear filled eyes looking back at him. She raised her hand to her mouth her eyes betraying the flicker of alarm.

"It's Ok Kayo the nurse is on the way you won't be needing that anymore, it's Ok honey just relax." He could see the fear and agitation on her face as her eyes darted about the room. He sat on the bed besides her stroking her hand "Not long honey, just rest."

The nurse entered and paged the doctor, Scott was temporarily dismissed from the room while the doctor carried out the procedure to remove the tube and he paced outside, twenty minutes seemed to take on the mantle of eternity now he had the opportunity to be with her properly. Once the door opened to allow him entry, he listened to the doctor taking in everything he said impatiently, ice chips only, keep her calm and as much rest as possible, finally released to where he wanted to be he returned to her bedside.

"Scott." Her voice barely audible as her throat spewed a horse whisper "Scott… I saw One … you're alive." Tears fell freely and he brushed them away with his hands, she tried to lift herself up a little.

"Shhh K it's ok, don't move there's a lot to take in, you need to rest."

"Oh god Scott… I saw him, … they had him Scott." The agitation was building as piece by piece events were returning to her.

"Kayo stop. You have to rest …. I love you. Please it's not good for you." He pulled himself onto the bed to lie next to her, gently seeking her lips.

Fighting the burning sensation in her throat she whispered "I love you."

Scott grinned at her a smile that took no physical effort now the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders "I know, now get some rest and you can tell me that again in the morning."


	24. Chapter 24

Ch24

The sound of his heavy footfall on the wrought iron mezzanine resounded around the large vacuous space beneath adding a resonant backing track to the beeping and whirring of the conveyor belt bringing his vision to life. As he paced backwards and forwards casting a glance with pride at the fulfilment of an obsession his peripheral vision caught sight of a brooding figure on the opposite walkway. A small bulldog of a man filled with plenty of hot air and little substance, a man who seemed hell-bent on controlling every aspect of the operation since his return. He stopped pacing and held onto the rail holding the gaze of the little man with a big ego and an even bigger enmity towards him. The debrief of the action at North Island had caused the round faced, sweat beaded man to near explode and publically brand him a failure when he had revealed had been forced to destroy The Hoods Australian safe house in the process of a swift extraction of the developmental drones. Now they were at opposite sides of the hanger neither willing to take their eyes of each other while taking respite from the inevitable round two of hostilities. Things should have been very different; the collateral damage would have been worth it if he had secured the girl but without her the loss of the hardware to the Indian Ocean and the destruction of the development lab had proved costly in more ways than one. He watched as the man mopped his brow and started to descend the steps on the walkway clutching a phone to his ear and walking purposely in his direction sneering his disdain before round two of spitting his venom. When the time came he would enjoy terminating the contract of the man with a big dose of short man's syndrome that seemed to be under the illusion he was key to the whole operation.

The snarling voice left his lips as soon as the call was terminated "The mole is now in my control and we are bringing forward our plans, you are extraction only, when the time comes all communications will be made in the control centre."

The Mechanic returned fire with equal acrimony "Should it be discovered then I will happily confirm with your paymaster who changed the plans."

The man glared back in return showing his anxiety through the glistening beads vacating every pore "Eyes are looking elsewhere and a distraction before the main event should keep attention well away from Parkmoor."

"Until you find you have miscalculated and the increased speed of our under-ground foray brings attention of its own. The Hood will know who made the decision that kept him behind bars Mr Abbott and I doubt your friend can help you."

He watched as the man removed his handkerchief to catch the beads of sweat forming a glossy sheen on his brow line. It amused him that the little man really did think the protection of the Brit with the friends in high places would save him from the retribution that would be coming his way once The Hood had regained control or from his agents if they failed.

A line in the sand had been drawn on the subject as Abbott retreated controlling what little he could with a parting shot "And the girl? You have compromised Australia and now you bring an uninvited guest here. I suggest you get rid of her or at least secure her within the facility."

"She has no access to the hanger or the Ops centre and is in my charge. She's an asset that The Hood may not be so keen to get rid of. Can you pilot the shuttles?"

Abbott opened his mouth as if to respond then with nothing to add to the man towering above him turned on his heels and returned back to the safety of the control centre returning his phone to his ear as he walked.

The Mechanic considered that for now his only firm ally in this hostile environment was the scruffy haired blond that he had been an unexpectedly useful and a nuisance in equal measure. He would keep her close as her value may yet be proven when it came to providing a distraction in England.

He returned to pacing the landing watching the assembly line create exact replicas of the drones that had masterfully downed the flagship of the Thunderbird fleet. The only saving grace in the last few hours was the proven record of them against the Thunderbirds the The Hood was obsessed with destroying. The Hood had wanted a ringside seat for a final act with his niece forcibly alongside him and the prisoner in his charge watching the end of International Rescue and the commandeering of Thunderbird Five the prize and end game. Stalled on the last encounter from entering the ring by the actions of The Hoods niece and the GDF he had been forced to hold back with his first born creations, those he had been commissioned to create specifically to withstand the rigors of the barren wasteland of zero gravity. He smiled at the thought of Jeff Tracy the bargaining chip unconscious in his cloaked ship less than a hundred kilometres away from the place he called home. There would be no mistakes the second time, in a few days he would leave for England and test his capabilities against the GDF and a high secure unit in the heartland of the English countryside. In the meantime he had his own battle to wage in Norway and one by one the agents would either be with him or against him and those against would find their usefulness terminated.

Jeff had found that once a few memories were unlocked more and more came to the fore, those from the furthest depths of his mind came easiest. His young family and wife comforted him in the long night when his consciousness retuned but he refused to open his eyes in case the images that were so clear that they awakened every sense disappeared with the entrance of light. Their faces now took no effort to recall, as men he saw his sons clearly while his wife's face did not age but faded in and out of the fog of forced recall. Finally defeated as the figure he wanted to secure eluded him he opened his eyes sat on the edge of the bed rubbing his hands over his face and down through his long hair while watching the woman on the other side of the glass still eyeing him intently. There was a fear now replacing his initial elation that some memories were holding fast, the fear that the face he was desperate to recall would never be seen by his eyes again, the fear that another needle would put pay to any future recollection. When he looked up again to meet the eyes of the blond now with tears in his eyes he saw a figure approach and he knew the darkness would soon take hold, his time was running out, he risked waking again and losing it all. He had to hold on to the few memories he had, the few hours in between each spell of darkness he did not want to waste precious moments to go over old ground. He looked around the cell and there was not much to aid him, he knew cognitive recollection techniques but struggled to see anything that might aid the key to enlightenment. If he thought if he could commit just one name to his neurons the others would follow, with little time he threw the pillow on the floor and the blanket beside it kicking them under the bed hoping to remind him of Alan. An Alan that in his head would now bear little resemblance to the man he had become in his absence. The hiss of the door indicated that the fight to retain memory was just about to begin.

"Ahh awake I see, well we don't want you dead before our boss has had a chance to reacquaint himself with you."

He handed him a beaker full of a thick gloopy substance which he had become accustomed to as a food replacement, Jeff was under no illusion that he was being kept alive on the bare minimum of nutrition required by the human body which accounted for his weakened body and dulled responses.

"I know he is looking forward to you fulfilling your usefulness."

Jeff eyed him taking the unappetising shake from his hands knowing that insipid drink would make his stomach recoil but grateful that when he needed the aid of a vitamin boost the most he had received it. He sipped the drink to prolong the wakeful state, he couldn't remember the last time a solid food had met his lips. After his rescue he had been well looked after, he tried to recount how long it had been since the waves had claimed his vessel which now seemed a lifetime ago. Life for the first few months, maybe more he reconsidered, had been that of an engineer as his rescuers found his vessel of interest. He became an unpaid worker as they pieced together the wreck, it was months before the change from colleague to prisoner and now as he sipped his drink he found he recalling of home and family less important than trying to plug the gaps in his recent memory. The heated breath of the man close to his ear snarling his order pulled him from his fight to piece together what little he had.

"Hurry up, I haven't all day! You know the drill if you don't drink this there is nothing but water for two days."

Jeff smiled "I was always told never to rush my food."

The agent noticed the change in the prisoner, there was boldness, an almost defiant stance to him there hadn't been before and one he could do without."

"Looks like we will need to increase the dose, your tolerance for the drug has increased I see."

Jeff's eyes almost sang his response "And my tolerance for you is waning by the second."

The man knocked the beaker from his hand and Jeff's eyes widened as the rush of memories he had to try to hold on to and order in his mind looked set to disappear. He took a last look in the mangled bedding on the floor under the bed as the sharp pierced his skin.

Catherine watched as the prisoner slumped, receive a heavy kick to the ribs and was left on the floor beside his bed, she turned and followed the agent knowing there would be little to study for the next few hours. Cornering the end of the corridor she came to an abrupt halt as she ran into her new boss.

"Just the person I'm looking for. Follow me we have a job to finish."

….

Scott and Virgil were disturbed from a fitful doze by the doctor returning to indicate that he would be taking Kayo for a scan early in the afternoon and if there were no signs of a bleed or further swelling she would then be scheduled for a further operation to replace the part of the skull that had been removed. Scott looked at Virgil as his words sank in, alarmed at another risk to her health so soon after her coming out of the coma, instinctively he grabbed her hand a gesture serving more to reassure himself than the barely awake patient. The doctor added notes to the chart and left them to process the plan for the day.

"You know Scott it will be under local anaesthetic, not unlike Alan's it's just an injection of liquid with the nanos inside that will make the repair." Virgil spoke calmly knowing enough about the procedure to be unconcerned by the proposed treatment plan.

"You sure Virg it seems a too soon for another invasive procedure now she's back with us."

Virgil looked at the pale face of his brother "Look Scott they know what they're doing, the risk of further damage to the brain is increased if the vulnerable area is not plugged as soon as possible, she won't feel a thing."

With a raspy edge to her voice Kayo fought to join the conversation "She is in the room you know, quit talking over me and I don't suppose he mentioned if I could have more than ice. I'd kill for a warm drink right now."

Virgil rose looking at Scott whose eyes and body language were almost pleading for as much time on his own with her as he could get while she was awake. "I'll see what I can find out"

Virgil decided he would check in on Alan and John first and then return with some much needed caffeine and anything else he could get his hands on. Scott smiled as he watched his brother leave; he always looked after the basics and knew exactly what he needed without so much as a word of enquiry leaving his lips.

"Hey, there kiddo finished with your beauty sleep?"

"Just inspecting the inside of my eyelids and anyway I need all of that I can get, haven't seen my crowning glory yet and not sure I want to." She tried to raise herself up the bed wincing at the sharp pain pulsing through her head at the slightest movement.

"Do you want to see?"

"Think it probably best I use my imagination." She lifted her hands to explore her face flinching as she mapped it with her fingers.

"Stop, Kayo, you're perfection to me." He winked at her enjoying the exchange he had waited so long for. "And you know it."

She smiled at him, knowing he was holding himself back indulging her in small talk while desperate for her to let him know what had happened on the Island and what she had seen in the minutes before Thunderbird One had been downed.

"You can ask me Scott, I can't tell you much but you can ask me."

Scott sighed there was nothing he would like more that the picture of his father alive through her eyes "Kayo it's a long day ahead, they've scheduled another procedure and Penelope will be here later before she heads home. There is no point you being put through it twice, I can wait."

"The impetuous Scott Tracy waiting, I thought I'd never see the day."

"I waited long enough for you to come round to my charms and besides I learned a lot since you left me." Scott countered trying to keep the mood playful and not agitate her any more that was necessary.

She let out an involuntary groan as she tried again to raise herself further up the bed, any movement seemed to bore holes into her head and fill them full if tiny pincers clinging to each nerve ending.

"Painkillers."

"No Scott I want a clear head when I talk through what happened, I don't want to miss anything that might be important." She stopped to catch her breath feeling the colour draining from her face and her cheeks fill with saliva "When's Penelope getting here? My uncle has him and we don't know why he's not flaunted that in our face." Stopping again she pointed to the cardboard sick bowl, waiting for Scott to pass it her before continuing while holding it under her mouth "And we need to find him fast whoever his new sidekick is that man is unstable and more of a risk than the devil I know."

"Honey, it isn't your uncle."

She closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning but refused to stop the conversation she needed to have "Scott he's involved I heard it from that bitch herself, they are both working for him and I suspect that we have made a hefty dint in their plans."

Scott brushed his hand against her cheek "Shhh Kayo, I thought we weren't doing this now."

"You thought we weren't doing this now, if you want me to go through it once then call Penelope. I want to do this now, how long have I been out Scott? It's time we can't afford to waste." She stopped fighting to control her features as the pain took over before she managed to breathe through it.

"Kayo your struggling, I can see that, shit Kayo you need to rest." He leant across, kissed her while stroking her hair.

"You'll not get round me like that Scott Tracy, conference in an hour and I want to see all footage from the cams, I want to see those drones up close and personal."

She tried to hide the pain through gritted teeth, all she wanted to do was sleep as her head started to spin again and her gut followed suit. Any show of weakness would put pay to her request, she still had a job to do and that was to understand the threat that had nearly killed Scott before she wanted any of them anywhere close to it again.

"Believe me you don't." He gave her his best Scott Tracy flirtatious smile which caused a broad grin to erupt on Kayo's face before the pain of the movement of her face muscles brought tears to her eyes.

"Enough, painkillers, I'll get the nurse."

"Scott no, just let me get this out of the way and then I'll be the good patient that Virgil would be proud of. Talking of Virgil you gotta get me out of here asap, he's more than capable of looking after me on the Island."

"Not a chance you're staying here until the doctor says otherwise, Virgil may not be around to look after you."

"Then you do it, I'll be a very good patient for you." The vulnerable girl act didn't suit her but somehow her attempts to get around him were slowly wearing him down to submission, he gave up on his requests to get her to stop and pressed the call button for backup.

He gave a low laugh and she noticed the sparkle appear in his eyes "Anyway not sure I believe that."

"Stop making me laugh it hurts. Scott I can do more at home, I can't sit it out in here any longer than necessary." She gave him a pout Alan would be proud of "Don't you want me back home and anyway if I'm back you're back and we can get One home to start the repairs."

"Way ahead of you Kiddo, Brain's is working on her now."

"Hope he's arming her."

"Kayo we don't carry missiles."

"Get John to send the footage and I'll show you why we do now, I've only seen what they did to you and that's enough for me."

"John's here looking after Al….." He stopped realising for the first time that Kayo only had brief glimpses of what had happened on the Island.

"K … Alan's injured too, he'll be OK but it was Alan that got you out of there before it blew."

For the first time since they had begun their conversation the determination and resolve to do something was silenced in Kayo, the shock took hold and she began to shake uncontrollably. Scott took his place beside her on the bed, slid an arm under her shoulders as her tears fell and she truly felt the impact of the damage done to the whole family. He held her allowing their release as she processed the new information, he felt her melt into him and he kept her still while she let go of the emotion she had bottled inside. She closed her eyes to relieve the pressure building and the pain that had now reached a sharp crescendo blinding her in one eye. She had been determined to be strong and in control but the thought of her little brother suffering was too much, she allowed Scott to pull her closer and the emotion to continue to be released as he soothed her. Virgil's return with John brought her eyes open again and the sight of her brothers brought fresh tears.

"Well I don't usually have that reaction from you." John walked over to the bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "It's nice to have you back with us, I seem to have spent a lifetime looking for you, AWOL is a nasty habit of yours." He sat down on the edge of her bed looking at her, studying her for a brief moment barely recognising the grey damaged face now it was animated. While asleep last night he could process it, but here awake, something he should be glad of, he could hardly look at the injuries inflicted.

Kayo smiled lifting her hand out to take John's "I'm just sorry finding me has caused Alan so much pain, tell him from me I owe him when you go back."

Her voice was wavering slightly but still all Kayo and it was enough to pull him back "You can tell him yourself, there's no stopping him on those crutches now he's got a nurse to impress."

Kayo laughed at the image of her younger brother John had created for her, then closed her eyes to block the pain the movement had caused.

Virgil walked to the bottom of the bed and took a look at the chart on the screen. "Has the nurse been back, you are overdue for some painkillers."

Scott smiled, she may have argued with him but with Virgil it would be futile and she knew it. "I've just called."

Virgil wasn't happy with further delay "I'll go get her and then Kayo you rest, you have another surgery in a few hours."

"I need to see Penny first."

Virgil walked over to her he was not going to take no for an answer, he could see the exhaustion and pain mapped on her face; she had done enough for today.

"Not a chance, Penelope's trip can wait if you need to see her but today Kayo you will only see us and I will ensure it."

"Virgil seriously this can't wait."

"It would have had to wait if you were still in a Coma, Kayo you rest, you have the procedure and tomorrow I will think about letting you see Penelope and the footage."

"Virgil!"

Scott smiled "It's no good arguing, if you're thinking you are back at work then meet your new boss."

Kayo struggled to process the information and the boys were grinning from ear to ear as her futile attempts to get round them caused them to break into laughter. It was the first time in a long Scott could remember sharing a laugh with his brothers, it brought a freshness to him, the belief that normality would return. A time when they would all be on the Island together looked possible within a few days and the intense fears that had plagued him seemed to disappear by the second.

John rose as the nurse entered to administer the dose "Time for me to leave and go check on Al and make sure he's not managed further injury trying to secure a date. Good to see you Kayo, you had us all worried for a while"

Virgil and Scott spent the next few minutes frustrating her when they refused to answer any questions and reverted to inane small talk whenever Kayo tried to insert a question about the situation on North Island or question Virgil about his conversations with Catherine. In an unspoken act of defiance they would avoid the subject and make comment on Gordon and Penelope's budding romance or discuss the finer points of the last board meeting. Kayo, defeated finally gave up closed her eyes and went to sleep causing Virgil to high five Scott and break into a laugh.

"I think the business talk wore her down."

….

In a few hours The Mechanics plans had gone from damage limitation to a potential action. It had taken time but he had finally received intelligence from his contact in Darwin, the waters had been muddied by his debrief with Casey but after a little digging he could confirm the girl had been badly injured but had survived her brief stay on North Island and she was in a coma in a hospital in Perth. The Colonel in his pay had struck gold, his quarry was alive, incapacitated and he would set the wheels in motion to ensure that the girl made a rendezvous with a private jet, ensuring she would be resident in Norway before The Hood made it out of his prison cell. The intelligence he kept to himself, the agents he was now surrounded with were loose cannons who would change affiliation on a die and with the bulldog still strutting around like a Crufts best of breed he couldn't risk it. It was time to give Catherine her chance and send her back to finish the job she started.

"Do you understand what I am asking?"

His large stature dwarfed her petite frame but her reply was confident and filled with excitement that finally the waiting around doing nothing was over.

"I finish what I started. So do we discuss payment in advance, the terms seemed sketchy at best last time."

"A transfer of a substantial amount of cash has been made to an offshore account. Here are all the details should you need to check, once you have done this and your last assignment in England it will be released, you can keep the plane and you can disappear."

Catherine looked at him weighing up the likelihood of success "Sounds a little difficult if you want me to take her from a hospital."

The Mechanic smiled and showed her a holo bracelet and exactly what it could do, the act looked secure, a sure bet with that sort of technology in her arsenal. The enticement of future riches offered an escape from a world she now saw she was unprepared for now she had met The Hoods other employees. After this she could start a new life on the right side of the law and live in relative comfort. The Mechanic intrigued her but not enough to forfeit the opportunity to leave a world that looked more and more likely to get her killed.

She mulled over the plan as she waited for the signal to take off, the plane would get her there in fifteen hours, the flight plan would be delay posted for a small airfield on the outskirts of a village on a Danish Island. All she had to do was to locate a member of the medical staff when she got there, scan their image and then gain access to someone she was very much looking forward to meeting again. From a small airfield to the north of Bergen Catherine felt the buzz that came with her new orders and mulled over the fact that no-one missed her in their life and she didn't miss anyone hers. Two more jobs and she had a blank canvas, her success from now on would be in her own hands.


	25. Chapter 25

Ch25

Virgil found solace in the slow walk between the wards, the bright artificial light bouncing off the white walls became a blank canvas to focus him while there was nothing else there to distract him. Without the bustling noise of family members and hospital staff infringing into his headspace he couldn't help thinking he was missing something. A niggle encroached, gnawing at him, building in the pit of his stomach, his body communicated wave after wave of nausea as he struggled to pin down what on earth had caused it in the first place. The family members that had entered the hospital causing so much anxiety and grief were out of danger and showing signs of their personalities returning through the gritted teeth of pain. The worry, the uneasiness that his mind struggled to put a handle on had not left him alone since he had left Scott earlier, now he split his time between Kayo and Alan in equal measure flitting between the two wards using the time between each to try to understand why his body was compelled to shout a warning his mind did not comprehend. He stopped outside Alan's ward taking a deep breath and submitted to the fact that he had found no epiphany on the latest leg of his dual bedside vigil. He gave them a warm smile as he entered the room pushing everything to the back of his mind for a short period of respite before he would begin the struggle again to try to understand why he felt he was failing them, because that was what it boiled down to, he had command and something was haunting him but the connection remained elusive. He took a chair at the side of Alan's bed and tried to keep up with the conversation between Penelope and John as they discussed the list of candidates that Brains had provided them with while they waited for the nurse to take Alan for his scan to check the nanos were starting to repair the broken bone.

John had been watching Virgil intently since he entered the room; the frown that decorated his brow seemed out of sorts considering they now had two family members who were considered out of danger and well on the way to recovery.

"What's wrong Virg."

Virgil lifted his eyes gave an apologetic smile and shrugged his shoulders "Wish I knew."

John gave Penelope a squeeze to the shoulder and walked round the bed sitting on the edge holding eye contact with his younger brother.

"Think you'll have to explain a bit better than that, just tell me what you are thinking."

Virgil sighed in defeat submitting to the fact that the solitary enterprise was now a joint one whether there was any reality to it or not "I'm thinking something is not quite right."

"You could say that, were you listening, from the list Brains provided there are only seven of those closely involved still alive. Brains, Penelope's boss, a weapons expert working on the DGF facility in Darwin, an undergraduate who did not graduate and we cannot trace. Then there are three professors, one of them retired to the back of beyond in Scotland, one on the lecture circuit in America and the other in a home for dementia sufferers in Cambridgeshire."

Virgil lifted his eyes to Penelope but the voice held little conviction "Interesting."

Penelope joined the discussion with a slight irritation to her voice "You could sound a little more sincere than that. Interesting doesn't cover the half of it, there were fourteen closely connected to the project and it seems there has been a series of accidents that have befallen five of them and a further two recorded as suicides." Penelope stopped to see if the news qualified as interesting in Virgil's eyes before continuing "I have my Aunt looking into the connection with my new boss and Colonel Casey will take America and Darwin, I will mop up the rest on my return. This thing, whatever it is, looks bigger than some stolen technology now we have seen the sharp end." She then looked to John "I agree with Virgil we are missing something because we were distracted by Kayo being taken and stopped asking questions about the thefts and cargo."

Virgil jumped up rounded the bed and patted Penelope on the shoulder "That's what I'm missing … Kayo. The Hood or whoever the hell that was wanted her, she was a specific target and we have left her wide open again. It wouldn't take long for someone to trace a patient they were looking for." Virgil felt instant release; his stomach went from tumultuous sea to lily pond in a second.

Penelope stood open mouthed "I was so interested in moving the transport from Darwin that I hadn't considered that hiding behind false names here may not be enough."

The others one by one registered a look to each other as Virgil's words sank in; the safe environment of the hospital suddenly took on a hostile edge.

Virgil rose there was no action to take but it seemed necessary to impart his fears to an older brother that usually took on the burden of decision making "I'm going to speak to Scott, John check to see if we are the only ones covertly accessing records here and then once Al's gone for his scan lets meet up in Kayo's room. Parker don't let Alan leave your sight for a second. We are getting him out of here today I can treat him on the Island."

Virgil took the walk down the corridor with no certainty in his judgement, if he was wrong then so be it, rather an overactive imagination than a huge regret. He entered the room and immediately walked to the end of the bed picked up Kayo's chart and immersed himself in the safe, familiar surroundings of the medical jargon while he struggled to try to put into words something that now away from the others seemed like the overactive thoughts of someone on little sleep. Scott looked up at his brother who had barely made eye contact with him as he entered. Scott knew by his evasive body language Virgil was avoiding something, the half turn away from him and the obsession with a chart he could have interpreted in seconds.

Scott smiled and joined him at the end of the bed placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder "I think you had better let me in on it."

Virgil looked him in the eye and Scott was surprised to see how tormented he looked on close inspection "Look Scott I've been thinking we should get our troops home as soon as possible."

Scott took the chart from Virgil's hands and replaced it in the holder "Interesting Virg, you gotta reason for this?"

Virgil sighed submitting to the fact he was going to sound like a paranoid lunatic "Look Scott, Miss Parker or not she was brought in by IR from an explosion on an island off Western Australia. I think we've been missing the point because our attention turned to Dad." He stopped and took a breath noticing he had the full attention of his brother who had now stopped smiling his amusement "Scott it was Kayo they were after and we are giving them another opportunity to take her, she has the op, bare minimum recovery time and then we get the hell out of here. Agreed?"

Scott looked at him concern now decorating his features, his fists clenched and released in irritation "Shit Virg, Shit. Shit! You think they are still after her? How did I miss that?" He returned his hand to the shoulder of his brother trying to stop him from pacing a track at the bottom of the bed and tried to lighten the mood "You think the gut instinct comes with the job?"

Virgil smiled at him "I'm not sure it's like your famous gut but something's been playing on my mind and this is it, I may be wrong but it's out there and I would feel more comfortable once everyone is home, especially sleeping beauty over there."

They were interrupted by John who rushed in through the door closely missing them both as he skidded across the high polish floor "You were right Virgil; EOS has found evidence that it is not just us hacking the hospital systems."

Scott's eyes hardened "How long have we got John and what are we going to do about it."

"Anyone's guess, systems were breached five hours ago and as we don't know where the threat is coming from we have to expect company anytime." John walked around the bed to Kayo and kissed her forehead.

Virgil breathed a heavy sigh and caught each set of eyes one by one "So they're coming to us and we'll have to be ready for them."

Scott walked back to the chair thinking about what limited options they had "I'll get additional security from Tracy Industries, John EOS will need to monitor all entrances and exits via the CCTV feeds."

"John have you got facial recognition in place in case they send our friend again." Virgil almost spat the words in John's direction.

"Technologies available at the touch of a button and we've got access to all the hospital's CCTV systems won't take long to hack into the cities; I've also limited some of the nearest entry points to exit only by tinkering with the access control systems, each time they repair the fault EOS will hack the system again and re-set the fault codes."

"Then we wait." Scott sat down in the chair running his hands through his hair processing the information smiling as he realised they now had an opportunity for gaining the upper hand "And this time as we are expecting them and we will turn it to our advantage."

Scott looked at Kayo who seemed to have been happy to take in their conversation without alerting them to the fact she was listening.

"Additional security, I think somebody had better explain." When no response was immediately forthcoming Kayo sat up and swung her legs off the bed and attempted to stand "Are you gonna let me in on this or not?"

"What are you doing?" Scott tried to keep his impatience out of his voice and adopt a serious tone while trying to push her back gently to keep her off her feet.

"If I'm not in this fucking bed then maybe you will all stop treating me invalid and start treating me as one of the team, I've had it Scott you need to stop keeping me in the dark." The pain still throbbed a dull but oppressing drum beat in her head but she was not going to let it show and was determined to get out of bed if that was what it took to be taken seriously.

Scott lowered his tone "Kayo get back in bed, the conference you were so desperate for is on its way, let's just say you're getting your getting your wish and you'll be seeing Penelope before your operation."

John leaned across to lay a steadying hand on her shoulder and accompanied it with a smile "Come on Kay you know he's right, get back in bed. It's nice to see you back to your usual compliant self by the way but let's not push your luck, you are still very much out of action."

She perched on the edge in defiance fighting the temptation to shrug off the hand still resting on her "So the question I need answering now Scott is why, what's happened to make you change your mind, you've not decided to stop nannying me for no reason."

Scott looked to Virgil and John and sighed sensing while all questions were directed at him they would give little assistance "Let's just wait for the others to get here."

Penelope, Gordon and Grandma soon arrived to join them this time with little ceremony and a subdued demeanour.

Kayo looked on incredulously as the verbal melee crossed back and forth across her making her feel like the table in the middle of a cabinet of war meeting as all fought for their opening statement to be heard. She sat up straight and failing to get their attention by joining the conversation as they continued to talk over each other's opening gambit giving no clear and logical order to what she was hearing she put her fingers in her mouth and whistled for attention. She hadn't counted on the stabbing pains pulsing through the throbbing she had now become accustomed to but it served its purpose as all eyes returned to her.

"Just stop, were in the ring, Virgil talk to me like I'm your security office, John talk to me like a mission controller and take it from the beginning. Penny I'll talk to you later about the list you've been talking about. Scott please stop looking at me like I'm broken and let's everyone up to speed."

Virgil briefed her on their concerns since the systems hack was discovered.

"You taking my job now too, it seems field commander is not good enough for you." She smiled at him "Good job, I'd say this is the best news we could wish for wouldn't you say. This time we are one step ahead, whoever is coming we take them down and we take them back to the Island we hand them in only when we have the intel we need."

"Kayo they are coming after you, we need to get you out of here before they come to us." Scott's returned to her bedside "I'm not gonna risk it against that maniac."

"Scott I'm the bait, it's sorta important I'm here, the last thing we need is them finding my discharge sheet on the database." She pushed herself further back onto the bed and relaxed back into her pillows "This is it Scott, this is our in, If I was in better shape I'd suggest you let them take me but under the circumstances we best stick with taking them."

She had to admit that Virgil had made a darn good call; a surprise attack could be disastrous but with prior warning the more she thought about they had the advantage. They may still be best placed to let them take her but that was a conversation she would only have with Virgil and Penny. For the moment she just took in everything that had happened since her uncle had appeared in her life again by proxy. Kayo in turn imparted her experience, the agents seemed part of a well organised operation, her uncle was involved, she had been surprised they hadn't recognised Catherine at the airfield which indicated that she was very much a bit player in the undertaking. The technology she had witnessed seemed incredible and on a par with their own capabilities. All eyes turned to her as they anticipated the next logical step for her story; it gave her goose bumps just thinking about how little she had to say and how much even that would mean to them all. She had to be certain her voice would hold steady before she could speak. Not one of them prompted her; they waited for her to start without exerting any pressure. She held eye contact with Scott and took a deep breath.

"Less than a minute, that's all but I am in no doubt it was him." All eyes hung on her every word "He heard you Scott, he heard One and started to struggle."

She looked at them realising the wait they had all endured to hear the little she had to say, the news was bittersweet, he was alive but their thoughts we all drawn to an image of him struggling, she could see the pain her words were causing, Gordon was now bolted to Penelope's side, Grandma had been forced by John to take a seat after her legs nearly went from under her.

"He looked vague but it was something he remembered that kick-started the reaction, I think they've drugged him, his eyes were vacant but he heard you as they took him up the steps."

"He was on the craft Kayo, they took him with them."

Tears started to fall down Kayo's face as she saw the relief in Scott's eyes, she had offered the information and he had waited until he thought she was up to it "You weren't sure they took him."

He sat down beside her putting his arm around her shoulders "I just needed to be sure honey, I needed to know I wasn't filled with false hope."

They all looked at him and realised that while they had clung to Kayo's few words over the comms that Scott had held onto his own demons and had tormented himself with something a lot darker.

Kayo took in the weight of Grandma's stare and felt the guilt building as she studied her ashen face "Seconds, I had seconds I just couldn't kick through the vent."

"Hey kid, it's Ok I know you have done all you could." She cast her eyes to the damage inflicted to the bottom of her feet "Look Kayp there was nothing you could do, not one of us thinks you could have done any more."

Virgil had only thought it fair that Kayo catch them up on the aftermath before they discussed the next move, talking though the actions at the Island the technology they had taken, Brain's work on it and a list of people involved in the technology in its infancy. They all agreed to get Alan out of there as soon as possible and get John back to Five to direct EOS in the new line of searches. Kayo sat quietly, processing the information. Penelope confirmed she planned to postpone her journey until the threat was terminated which under the circumstances seemed an unnecessary action to Kayo after everything he had just heard.

Before she had chance to speak to urge Penelope to go sooner rather than later the nurse interrupted the bedside briefing indicating the patient was to be prepped for the infill surgery.

"Please could you just give us a few more minutes, my brother is going home today with some of the family and it's my last chance to see them for a while."

"Ten minutes and I'll be back."

"Twenty would give you time for a coffee." Kayo tried to push it and hoped this nurse had less of Virgil's overkill after a shift of standing on her feet with little chance for a break.

The nurse turned to leave and gave her a smile "I'll meet you half way, you drive a hard bargain Miss Parker, but it's good to see you so animated."

"Thank you Nurse Ayub."

She turned back to address the others "Ok, we haven't long who's taking Alan back?"

"I'm staying!" Scott felt the weight of her stare on him "Kayo, I wouldn't put it past you to offer yourself up as hook-able bait now you know you have a functioning locator."

Kayo started to speak but thought better of it and changed tact, she still had a lot of catching up to do and she was about to lose some of her resources. Contact with the Island would make her a lot more comfortable in the short time she had left staying in Perth.

"Anyone have my comms bracelet?" She noticed the smile and look Virgil gave Scott.

"It's been well looked after, you need it now?"

"Virg, it's a long night ahead maybe the chance to speak to Brains would help me settle about what's going on at home in our absence, plus half of you will be back there in a few hours, I might miss you."

Virgil laughed, a deep laughter that came from his inner being, it may have been the relief of her acting every bit like the sister he had spent so long searching for and then so much of his energy trying to ensure they got all of her back. From what he saw and heard in front of him there was no mistaking the Kayo that had been taking part in the conversation was every bit the person that had been taken from them.

"You think I'm green, you are off mission, if you want comms then Scott is with you, when you get home you will have all the time in the world to chat to Brains in the infirmary, oh and as you are grounded you will spend the next six months at least on the Island. If I am in charge of your medical care then there is no argument."

All eyes turned between the two of them sensing that there was an argument to be had between the chief of security and the stand-in field commander. Grandma knew Virgil would appreciate the privacy and rose taking John's arm giving a slight nod in the direction of the door to Gordon. Penelope followed leaving Scott and Virgil to deliver the news that Kayo so far was unaware of.

Kayo waited for the party leave before she took up the challenge Virgil had offered "Grounded I'm not a teenager, what the hell are you talking about."

Scott took her hand and got thrown a look of defiance for his trouble, he smiled, his firebrand was back but he wasn't sure whether at this precise moment in time this was a good thing. Taking the hint to back off a little he took to the chair allowing her to focus on Virgil.

"Six months Kayo, you can travel but you cannot pilot anything for at least six months, you may all but be repaired once the nano's have finished their re-build but we cannot discount any seizures, Shadow is out so you are grounded."

Kayo looked from one to the other, there would be no ally in Scott in fact he looked down right relieved that Virgil had the delivered the blow. She knew that was a mere detail because no matter how this was dressed up this order came from the both of them. Still Shadow would get a run; there was nothing so sure in her mind that when it finally came to confirmation of a location Shadow and a fully armed version at that would be the Thunderbird of choice whoever piloted her. The agile plane would fulfil the role perfectly of a fighter protecting the larger fleet when the call for action came. The need to talk to Brains about the modifications which would need to happen sooner rather than later became more important than arguing the toss. She couldn't exactly pilot anything from her hospital bed and she knew sometimes with the two men in front of her, especially when they had formed an unbreakable alliance it was better to choose your battles.

"So whose going home with Alan and whose on security detail here?"

Both eyed her suspiciously as she shifted subject, Scott especially felt uncomfortable with the change as he felt he would be the one paying for Virgil's announcement later.

"Penelope and Parker will stay with us until you on your way home. Virgil will take Alan, John, Gordon and Grandma home and then return later. Does that meet your approval Security Officer Kyrano."

Kayo threw a pillow at Scott and gave him a haughty stare and then smiled at him, it seemed the opportunity to speak to Penelope would be given, Brains & EOS she could check in with via Scott's comms and she would be back in control of security at the Island sooner than anticipated, she turned her attention to Virgil.

"Go on then take my baby brother home and smother him for a change, ask Penelope to come and visit when the operation is over."

Virgil took his leave and turned to look at Kayo as he got to the door "Well you took that better than expected."

Kayo watched him leave and glanced at the clock "Two minutes Scott, what could we possible do that could fill two whole minutes." And there it was the Scott Tracy arched eyebrow, as she tried to make it to her feet he took her hands then grabbed her arms to steady her as she started to lose the strength in her legs.

"Kayo sit down."

"In a minute, remember the hanger, well this is me again practically throwing myself at you Scott Tracy and you better darn well appreciate it as it hurts like hell. She mapped his face with her fingers, looked at him and for the first time since she had woken from the coma felt herself return to someone she recognised. She tilted he face towards him allowed his arms to wrap around her and kissed him. She refused to break the kiss as lifted her into his arms and placed her on the bed. They broke apart laughing as the nurse entered the room giving them an enquiring look at the empty room and the indulgence of a couple who were quite obviously very much in love.

She smiled at them "And here was me given the impression you were saying goodbye to your family, I know trouble when I see it Miss Parker and I will need to keep a close eye on you." She laughed at the indignant look she received "Your chariot awaits; I take it your boyfriend will not be braking the habit of a lifetime and will be accompanying you."

Scott lifted Kayo off the bed and into the wheelchair "I assure you she won't be leaving my sight."


	26. Chapter 26

Ch26

Alan was wheeled back into his room by his favourite redhead and barely had time to catch his breath from his outing to the scan dept when he registered Parker overseeing his discharge paperwork. Before he could utter a word of enquiry the room went from relative peace to a full Tracy onslaught within seconds while Alan was settled onto the bed on his comfortable side by the nurse. He couldn't help but smile at the over protective ministrations of his three older brothers as they bustled around with Grandma and Penelope in tow, he gave Charlie a wave as she left before turning his attention to the scene he been wheeled into. Within minutes it became clear he was going home with some degree of urgency and if he was honest for all his promises to stay until Scott and Kayo were ready to come home he was glad to have the decision taken from his hands. Home had been something he hadn't allowed himself to dwell on, safer off limits until it looked a possibility, now he would shortly be in the relative comfort of their own infirmary he was looking forward to being somewhere he could feel close to his father. He had spent long hours when sleep would not come because of the uncomfortable position he had to adopt and the constant dull edge of pain. Frequently the pain turned into sharp breath stealing stabs running down his nerves hours before his next dose of relief was due and during those hours his only company while he watched John sleep in the chair was his father in many guises shifting through memories and keeping him sane. He wished it was a subject that he could broach with them here but they had all recently seemed so preoccupied, he knew in the comfort of home it would be easier to speak to them about him and he had never had so many questions.

John brought him from his thoughts "Al, half hour and you're on your way."

Alan felt his stomach lurch as he realised he would be going without spending any time with Kayo while she was awake. He had to apologise, the behaviour he had displayed when he was last at home seemed set to taint his return if he couldn't at least look her in the eye and say sorry for acting like their friendship meant nothing.

"Kayo, I need to see her before we go."

Virgil sat on the edge of Alan's bed already adopting the _that's not going to be possible face_ before he explained that Kayo was about to go for a second operation.

"Another! What's wrong? We have to wait; you don't understand I have to see her."

Grandma placed a hand on his shoulder "Look kiddo she'll be home before you know it, if you'd have seen her earlier you wouldn't have thought there was much wrong with her, tongue as sharp as her wit that one." Grandma chuckled noting a small smile break free on Alan's face.

Gordon walked up and ruffled his hair "Ready for your patient transfer in the big green flying bug?"

Virgil shot him a look as Grandma and John both looked on in amusement relaxing now that at least one of the patients was on the way home. "Hey that big green bug gets your sorry arse home from missions, insult her and you're on your own Squid."

"Virgil Grissom Tracy, I am not naive enough to think you don't use that language but I certainly don't expect it in front of me. I hope by the time your father is home that you all call time on the recently indulged standard you have chosen to adopt."

Alan smiled and gave a wink to Virgil, he could see that he was trying hard to make the journey home seem like it was the simple repatriation to family, but he noticed there was heaviness to his demeanour and even his last statement lacked the usual Virgil spirit. Not wanting to delay his transport back to the Island now the idea of home had been firmly planted he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He noted the little looks his brothers kept giving each other and he vowed to be the patient from hell if he didn't get the answers he was looking for when he got home.

"Well son, you ready it'll be good to get you home, Parker will be back with a chair in a minute."

Alan was horrified "Grandma I can walk I'm an expert on crutches now."

"You take a ride when you can get it son, you've a long way to go, you save your energy."

Alan noticed the walk taken through the maze of corridors to the waiting transport was taken by his family members with mixed feelings. The march of John and Virgil several paces in front left him in no doubt that they strode with purpose and the sooner they were in Thunderbird Two the better. Gordon hung back with Penelope at his side a step behind his chair escort of Grandma and Parker, as he turned to look back at him every step forward seemed to take a little light from his eyes and the nearer they got to the exit the more he looked like a man walking to his execution

As John strode out into the sun, each long stride closing the proximity to EOS and Five, he was desperate for the return of technology to his fingertips. The need to carry on aiding Brains, keep Kayo safe and to continue the search became all-consuming as soon as he left the exit. Seconds that had been of little value while sat in a chair at Alan's bedside now seemed a precious commodity. Virgil stepped through the door beside him, head down, acknowledging his guilt at wanting to drop them like a parcel at an inconvenient relative at Christmas. This was not him but returning to Kayo's side as soon as possible was now his main concern. As Gordon stepped into the natural light he stopped dead in his tracks and made a grab for Penelope's hand. This was not the last moments in Perth he had hoped for, it was impersonal, all too brief and the commencement of an undetermined amount of time away from her and with no chance to tell her without company how he was feeling.

The fresh air hit Alan in the lungs and he couldn't resist asking for them to stop for him to enjoy lungful after lungful before he entered the waiting car. He was settled into the front seat by Virgil as the others took their seats behind.

Alan took a while to twig they weren't going anywhere soon. "What we waitin for, I'm dying for a bit of home comfort."

Virgil tapped him on the shoulder giving a nod to the form of Gordon still at the doorway with his arms around Penelope. Gordon knew going home was the only sane course of action, everything about the intelligence John had received and he had to concede they were best getting his brother the hell out of there. It was also perfectly reasonable for his girlfriend stay behind to help protect his sister. It made all made perfect sense but his heart rebelled against the logic, his heart would have taken Penelope by the hand marched her to a taxi and started the rest of their lives. His head and his heart were now in complete opposition and fighting within to take control of the decision making process. Everything Penelope was about to perform from protecting Kayo to returning to England to gain the best intelligence was always what she did for International Rescue, she kept them safe. He knew the job would always come first but the pain searing a path through his chest was acute and the moment he now had to say goodbye was not nearly long enough to say what needed to be said.

He released her slightly to look into her eyes.

"Penny…. You know don't you?….. I mean not just that I love you but you know this is killing me."

"No-one said this would be easy Gordon." She placed her head onto his chest and felt his arms tighten around her "In fact Gordon we have spent months doing things the hard way but we both have a job to do. And we will do it as we always have, we can think about us when we have everybody home. And Gordon in the meantime I will be thinking about you."

The waiting vehicle gave him an impatient beep of the horn.

Gordon resisted throwing his brother a hand signal that would leave him in no doubt about his irritation at being rushed "We have an audience Penny."

"Well just this once Gordon Tracy we will give them something to talk about." She kissed him, savouring the last taste of the man she loved "Now go look after them and FAB1, the sooner she is mended then the sooner you have an excuse to make the trip."

Gordon laughed, the separation imagined not nearly so bleak now she had reminded him that his services would be required as an errand boy. He returned her kiss taking his time not caring about the guaranteed stick from his brothers, then he released her and made his way to the waiting car determined not to turn around. This was Alan's moment and he was not going to ruin it because he couldn't cope with a few days away from Penelope. He got to the car, hovered at the door as the temptation to take one last look at her framed by the doorway took over. Swallowing hard he blew her a kiss, opened the door on the SUV, submitted to Virgil's pat on the shoulder and looked forward, a journey back to the Island and repairs FAB1 required to get him by her side.

….

The apprehension Scott had felt about the operation within seconds of the start of the procedure proved completely unfounded. He sighed his relief at watching her so animated during the local anaesthetic. Then as the long needle entered her head and slowly released its contents she showed no concern as she continued to talk to the doctor and nurse about the likely view of the occupational therapist on someone in her position returning to work as a pilot in less than six months. He had to admit that as he sat there holding her hand expecting the life to be squeezed out of it he had been completely blindsided by the question but then he supposed it was the sort of thing that had drawn him to her in the first place. It amused him she wasn't trying anything he wouldn't try himself, he felt sure she would need a close eye keeping on her because if six months was the definitive answer then she was high risk of going against all advice and doing it anyway. He could tell the doctor's confirmation was not one she hoped for; it was that news and not any pain during the procedure that darkened her mood. It was over and done with in less than half an hour, to lift her spirits he suggested an impromptu change of scenery. She didn't mind him wheeling her around the hospital to the cafeteria considering the events of last few days and was happy to put off a return to the four walls she had noted every mark on.

Scott enjoyed the mock whoop of delight from her as he cornered a bend at more than the sedentary pace expected for those transported by chair "Let's go get something to eat."

"How about just having coffee, our time would be much better spent speaking to Brains." As she turned to face him she was surprised by the expression of disappointment in his face "Suppose we could take a little time just for us, I'm in the chair though Scott and it's kinda embarrassing, not quite the second date I was hoping for."

Scott leant over and kissed her "Let's just take what we can get, it wasn't so long ago that this looked an impossibility."

Kayo conceded, in a way everything he was suggesting made sense, less than a week into a relationship and a lifetime in between the hanger and the hospital cafeteria. It may be equally as long between the second and third date if intelligence sent him from the Island, taking a stolen moment to enjoy each other's company seemed worth the wrath of an angry nurse. Penelope and Parker found them sat drinking coffee, their body language leaning in towards each other both relaxed and they looked like they had been together in this way for years. Penelope smiled, Kayo was now a shadow of the former awkward, emotionless girl she had taken under her wing when the admission of her feelings had been made. In less than a month Kayo had blossomed into a woman who didn't find her own feelings a weakness and had enough confidence not to hide behind a façade.

Penelope gave her kiss to each cheek "So they have let you out."

Scott laughed "More like AWOL but they haven't come looking yet."

Penny looked at Kayo smiling "Seems to be a habit of yours."

Humour seemed the best way to deal with impending uncertainty; worrying before anything happened, after everything they had been through seemed a waste of energy. Within the hour John would be back as monitor and within two Virgil would be back with them so Penelope decided she would take this opportunity to just to appreciate her friend being back with them and enjoy her company and if she happened upon any intel during the conversation then all the better.

"Scott, Parker would you be so kind as to get us ladies a hot drink and maybe something sweet to disguise the taste, take your time I have a few things I would like to discuss with Watson about my trip to England."

Futile to resist what was in essence a direct order Scott looked at Kayo who now showed signs of fatigue "Ten minutes Penelope, then we had better head back to the ward before Nurse Ayub is hauled before the ward manager, she's probably in enough trouble today for catering to our whims.

Penelope watched them head toward the counter waiting until out of earshot "So Kayo get it off your chest."

Kayo glanced in her direction, caught off guard as her friend seem to read her thoughts but then did she really expect anything else from Penelope. "Penny let them take me, we can arrange discreet Comms, I have a locator, let's save time and not run the risk that whoever is coming won't respond to questioning."

Penelope looked at her and considered carefully the best way of telling her she hadn't really though this through without causing additional agitation to a patient with a head injury. "Kayo you're making the big assumption they wanted you alive and not as some trophy killing to impress your uncle. Too be honest with you and I think a good dose of honesty wouldn't go amiss here, you are barely well enough to be down here drinking coffee. No Kayo we don't have many options but that my friend is firmly off the table"

Kayo considered her reasoning and submitted with a sigh "So tell me what we should do? This waiting around is killin me, I've never felt so redundant and I have to do something."

Penelope gave her an amused look as she thought of all the waiting around she had recently done on her friends behalf "It rather depends on the intelligence we get from John, if the attack comes with no prior warning we deal with it and neutralise the threat, although it is likely we will lose them to the authorities."

Kayo's interest was perked and she leant in closer to her friend "And with warning, Penny what are you thinking?"

"With warning, pretty much the same however we make sure the authorities never knew they existed"

"What, are you serious?"

"It may be quicker than following any trails I find in Cambridge which will only tell us who made a profit from the technology. With enough persuasion this may take us straight to source without time spent fishing in muddy waters. You will find most people can be persuaded or have a price in their line of work."

"How long since the hack? And please Penny give me something I can do to help." She thumped her first on the table in frustration "This isn't me and you know it."

Penelope refrained from the full piece of her mind she wanted to give her friend and adopted a stern but appropriate tone for the public surroundings they were in "You are very lucky you're alive and able to feel sorry for yourself!" She took Kayo's hand "Just over six and a half hours, again we wait, but I have to say it makes a pleasant change for you to be joining us in the game this time round. If you really need something to stave off the boredom when you are at home, work with Brains on the list of those involved that seem to have met a sticky end, I will have little time to take on both lists and those dead may just be as important as those we have to find or watch, seriously Kayo let's find out what made them targets and why they were superfluous to the needs of the others"

Kayo rolled her eyes "Not exactly life at the sharp end."

"Take one look in the mirror Kayo, the sharp end could kill you and you know it."

"I'll kill that cow if I get my hands on her, without her I could be out there doing what I do best."

Penny leaned in her reply just short of a whisper "Short-sighted as always my friend, without her we wouldn't be trying to piece this thing together to find Jeff. And more importantly you wouldn't have given those boys the hope they now have of finding him. You do know that every single one of them at some point has privately thought chance of finding him alive was nil."

Kayo looked at her friend with a resigned expression "So your list, name them and give me your thoughts.

"Well we have Drummond-Mason and I know enough about him in my personal dealings with him to know he's the main contender and quite possibly untouchable so the Professors will be the most interesting candidates. Amelia Stubbins however is in a care home, I will visit her first, it will probably be the quickest interview in history but I wouldn't want to make the assumption that her memory doesn't have the odd moment of clarity."

Kayo watched as Parker and Scott hung back while Penelope continued.

"The Professor in Scotland is Harry Walters-Clarke, retired but I have found he has over the past year continued as a guest lecturer at several Scottish universities. Colonel Casey will monitor Col Hugh Devlin, his communications are now under surveillance before she pulls him in, it seems he is responsible for the hack but for the moment he will be more useful under observation."

Kayo looked at her "and the others?"

Penelope smiled "Well I think we can discount Brains, if he hadn't gone off radar over the past few years I have a feeling he would have been added to the list you are going to look into. Professor John Watson the Colonel will have followed, he's in America."

Kayo stifled a laugh "John Watson!"

Penny smiled "Maybe his parents were big fans of Conan-Doyle. The point being we have people to monitor, apart from Silas Martin, an undergraduate on a scholarship making an some extra cash working as a lab technician on the initial trials, he never completed his degree, had a stint in the army, discharged and disappeared, maybe Brains can help you with his background when you get home."

Kayo started flagging and her spirited response was delivered with little conviction "Oooo another exciting job just fallen in my lap right there."

"Look Kayo we don't have much but anyone of these could be who we are looking for."

"I'd say that it's more likely that most of them are in on it and the question should be what have they all got to gain."

As Parker and Scott came back to join them placing the tray on the table a harassed Nurse Ayub made her way over "Shift change and I have a missing patient you are determined to make my life difficult Miss Parker."

A contrite Kayo made her apologies and stood forgetting the stitches in the soles of her feet and made an involuntary yelp. Nurse Ayub gently guided her back to the wheelchair and took over the transportation back to the ward. "Nurse Pattinson will look after you tonight and I'll be back tomorrow on the early shift, please behave yourself and a word of warning she will take a lot less messing than me."

Kayo smiled at her "I have trouble behaving myself but I will do my best for you."

Kayo was asleep within minutes of her resettlement to the ward not even waking when Virgil returned. He returned to them with some good news, One would be back in service before they returned home and they now had three fully functioning drones in their possession. Brain's was now developing a way of the drones being replicated and certain if they could be released into any action with the sister drones that had downed One they would neutralise the threat they posed. Virgil didn't think Brains had slept since they had left for the hospital and had been in awe of his single minded determination to make a positive act. Virgil had Penelope on stand-by in the hotel ready to move if John confirmed CCTV had picked up a likely target. An hour before shift swap which Virgil and Penelope had identified as high risk for comings and goings on the ward John contacted them to say that facial recognition had picked up the face of Catherine McCarthy at a small airfield on the outskirts of Perth, she was now somewhere on the Kwinana Freeway making her way into the city.

Penelope immediately contacted Virgil. "Time to do a little modification of our own to the aircraft if you are sure you have things covered there. It will be interesting to know where the flight plan was posted from. John will let me know when she's headed back. It's up to you Virgil when I have the tracker in place and have downloaded the data recordings then you can decide, we take Catherine in or let her escape and we trace her"

Virgil visibly prickled at the name he hoped never to hear again "I'll let you know."

As he weighed up the options Penelope presented he couldn't honestly say which he'd prefer, having her back at the Island was something he dreaded, his blond haired mistake as a reminder to them all of his gullible nature. Letting her go seemed to let her off with the possibility of escaping justice and there was no doubt in his mind the girl deserved punishment. He caught the eyes of Scott and Kayo who were both lay on the bed and were now looking at him intently.

Scott saw the pain in his brothers eyes "Virg you OK? It's your call if you don't want her back there we could hand her over to Casey."

Virgil struggled to keep his temper in check, Scott noticed his eyes almost turn black and his fists were tightly clenched as he spoke "What to the GDF and their exemplary track record for employing trustworthy staff. No! If she's gets close before Penelope gets what we need from the plane we take her with us and we pry the information out of her."


	27. Chapter 27

Ch27

On Thunderbird Five John had been thinking through the options presented to them after his conference call with the hospital, there had been two trains of thought and he couldn't calculate the risk on either, give her a near miss and allow her escape or take her back to the Island without GDF approval. It didn't seem likely without the threat of the GDF that Catherine would give up anything; equally he couldn't get excited about the tracker as there were too many variables. Each new avenue of investigation as it arose kept him occupied in his solitary task, he hadn't expected to but he missed the company he had on the last search. He toyed with the number on screen wondering if contacting it now when he should be concentrating his every effort on the data in front of him was a betrayal to the task in hand. He swiped the screen to dismiss the number and called up the satellite image of the tail fin of Catherine's plane trying to call up matches on other archived satellite images. Sighing as he broke all promises made when the agreement for access was brokered he brought the satellite relay back into action to assess any data that may not immediately enter the archive database. John had wanted desperately to be back here and for just for one second frustrated by no immediate result or action he wished he was back at the hospital or with his younger brothers at home. With EOS having all her processors engaged on running facial recognition technology through the CCTV cameras in Perth the control room cut a lonely place. He yearned for the ping of a result if only for the contact it would mean with his brothers on the ground.

Virgil had taken the outer perimeter checks with the Tracy Industries security team as soon as contact had been confirmed safe in the knowledge that after one call from Penelope the hospital had agreed to update the status of the ward as 'under quarantine' locking it down immediately. The cold enveloped him but kept his senses heightened as he wandered around the outer doors checking the access controls were still in place. As he shuddered against the cool breeze of early morning he was confident the only outcome that would not happen was that Catherine would be leaving with Kayo. He felt he had all bases covered, Kayo's discharge was being hastily arranged and if they needed a quick exit she would be leaving via the morgue into a vehicle he had on stand-by. The hospital computer systems would show no trace of her discharge after EOS had made a little time lapse modification to their systems but he still felt ill at ease, something he had no control over was its way. Virgil continued on the outside retracing his steps on a never ending circuit, his stomach now throwing up bitter tasting digestive juices into his mouth, he felt sure if he entered the building its contents would soon be decorating the floor.

John contacted him with little ceremony or pleasantries "I'm buying you a little time, I put out an APB on the vehicle as a suspected DUI, I will know her precise whereabouts when she's pulled over and we will be able to monitor from there on in on the city CCTV number plate recognition systems."

Virgil stopped pacing taking a seat on the small wall outside the side entrance to the X-Ray Dept "Good thinking John."

The voice seemed distant so without thought and breaking protocol for contact in civvies John appeared on Virgil's communicator "Virg are you making your way back to Scott you seem a little preoccupied."

Virgil raised his eyes to meet his brothers barely recognising the public nature of the call "Just hanging back, Scott has the sedative if she makes it through to the ward without us having her under surveillance here… I am hoping to cut her off before she gets close. You just let me know if Penelope has enough time to do what she needs to and keep me updated on her location."

John gave him a rare empathetic smile "You're not going back to the ward to wait it out?"

Virgil's jaw set grinding his teeth for a moment before answering "I'm gonna tail the target in here as soon as you confirm a sighting. Let's just get Kayo ready to move, is the discharge paperwork finalised?"

John studied his brother and decided there was a time and a place for the Catherine talk and this wasn't it "Yep transfer to a rehabilitation centre nearer home is agreed, the information won't be uploaded to the records, it will be temporarily lost in their systems."

Virgil sighed, the wait played heavily on his mind but the thought of meeting Catherine again weighed heavier "I'll decide after Penelope confirms any intel from the plane whether we take her in or let her go hang herself with her boss. I won't lose her, you just let me know where CCTV picks her up and I'll worry about the rest."

….

Scott monitored their traffic on his comms "You hear that, looks like we're going home Kiddo."

Kayo reached out for his hand noting the apprehension in his voice "You gonna let me speak to Brains now Scott, it will help to pass the time while we wait."

Scott passed over her comms bracelet thinking about the time when he had been desperate for the opportunity to give it her back and now he was reluctantly handing it over to her when she should be taking it easy. He watched silently, smiling to himself as she demanded to know what had been found on the shuttle and ordered modifications on all of the birds. Then he stared at her open mouthed when she asked him to modify Shadow so Scott could fly her. Weapons systems were discussed between the two of them like it was a normal conversation and they debated how quickly Shadow could have a modification that would allow the launch of one of Brain's drones into any hostile action. Brain's looked at Scott processing the instructions but not quite sure how many of them he was to carry out and in which order.

Scott felt the shift, he had little choice, although it went against all his natural instincts and the ethos of International Rescue he had to agree with her assessment for some sort of weaponry given the capabilities of the man who had his father "Brains we need to be ready to move, assume all birds will need adapting for the release of the drones. Virg can take One if Shadow's required, John can take two with Gordon if necessary but all birds need to be ready for action as soon as possible."

Brains looked from one to the other "F-A-B"

Kayo waited for his hologram to disappear before protesting her frustration to Scott "I can take Two, double crew."

Scott threw her a rare look of authority "Not happening, you're grounded remember." He softened his tone as he saw a flash of anger pass through her eyes "I know you will find this frustrating but you'll be needed back on the Island, I need you with Alan and Grandma without argument. Besides if John's with us EOS will be solo on Thunderbird Five and mission control will pass to the island."

Kayo eyed him softening her gaze when she noted him acknowledge the dejection in her face with a sympathetic smile. Flying was now firmly planted in her blood almost an extension of her, only he would understand and she could only imagine the shit storm he'd want to kick up if grounded for so long. She swallowed hard against every argument she wanted to make noting the change in Scott since the news Catherine was on her way, she decided for the moment she wasn't prepared to give him anything else to worry about. She watched him as he sat in the chair nervously running his hands through his hair as he lost his focus gazing into the air behind her in anticipation of the pending visitor. She knew instantly the realisation of what they were prepared to do, including what they risked to their operational status if the GDF got wind of their kidnapping of a wanted woman had just registered with him.

Kayo swung her legs round off the bed to face him "Back in the room."

"Sorry …What?"

She took his hand and pressed it to her lips "Lost you there for a minute Scott."

He smiled his acknowledgement of the action half heartedly "Hate this waiting game."

Kayo ran her fingers gently caressing his lower arm "Well to distract yourself you can help me come up with a plan to keep me from the infirmary when we get home."

He made eye contact smiling at her "Don't fancy your chances."

The smile was enough to settle her and drift the conversation into the realm of diversionary tactics "You could tell him I'll be staying with you."

"Could work." He gave her a smile that lit his blue eyes from within "And when we leave for wherever we are going."

She laughed at him "It seems likely that when you all leave, me and Alan will be left in the hands of Brains who in my opinion may be better with you. Help me show Virgil we can at least look after ourselves and Brains can assist in Two. Look Scott let's be serious, we both may be side-lined but we can still do something. Just help me take the infirmary out of the equation then you and Virgil will be able to concentrate on what needs to be done."

Scott leaned over and kissed her on the lips nibbling her lower lip in his retreat "I think you'll do anything to stay in my room, you should be ashamed of yourself."

Kayo threw him a look of mock seriousness then broke into a grin "Well you've killed it now. I may make you take the chair in mine."

He laughed with her "I should learn to quit while I'm ahead. You can move into my room whenever you like, you only had to ask.

He smiled as Kayo's completion pinked and she stumbled with her words "It's … look I didn't mean, you know just to stop Virg putting me in that damn infirmary."

Savouring the nature of the distracting conversation he leaned in to kiss her, taking his time, enjoying the move from firm kisses planted on her forehead to kisses that made his senses tingle and stomach somersault "You can stay with me as long as you like, you know I would have been persuading you to visit every night anyway once you are better."

Kayo giggled "Enjoy it while we can you mean, when we have your dad back we will have to learn to behave ourselves."

Scott's mood changed on a dime as he registered the automatic change in the relationship Kayo felt she now had to claim with their father. They weren't blood relations, yet he had been more father to her than anyone else in her life and now a relationship between the two of them would change all that for her. They would need time to talk, they had barely had anytime to be a couple and already reality posed more difficulties but he considered there would be a time for the deep and meaningful discussion and this was not it.

He returned the smile to his face "Kayo we've barely been able to misbehave ourselves."

Kayo grinned at him "Well then you have an ulterior motive for keeping me from the infirmary, we could call it physiotherapy."

Scott spat out his laugh "I'm shocked."

"You are not!" Kayo leaned forward putting on her best seductively breathy voice "You think it's the best idea I've had in a long time."

"Not bad for a woman with a head injury." Scott glanced at the clock wondering why they hadn't yet received an update as the impending visit drew closer. "Get this out of the way and I'll have you tucked up in no time."

"Promises, promises." She leaned over towards the chair "How about a little taster." She kissed him and slid off the bed onto his knee "You know that I dreamed of this while I was on my little vacation."

Scott wrapped his arms around her as she ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his head back slightly, kissing him with an intensity which left him in no doubt that the conversation they had just held may not be a dream to distract them about what was coming. God she had no idea what she was doing to him, she broke away suddenly and he noticed the colour draining from her face as she slumped against his chest. Tough exterior or not even a small amount of physical exertion had taken its toll and he regretted not seeing her as the patient she was.

He stood with her in his arms, hers wrapped around his neck and he placed a kiss to her forehead "Back to bed Kyrano" he smirked at her "And don't be getting any inappropriate ideas, you need time to rest before this all kicks off."

Kayo smiled "In your dreams flyboy."

"Constantly, but I'll educate you on the stuff dreams are made of another time."

Kayo gave him a dig in the ribs as he laid her on the bed "If I felt any better it would be you in the infirmary."

He joined her on the bed laughing, pulling her into his side and as her head nestled into his chest they heard John's voice on the comms confirming Virgil had eyes on the target.

Scott wrapped his arms tightly around her "Looks like game on K you sure you're OK for the move."

She barely moved her head in acknowledgement, now with little energy and a dull throbbing bringing her back to her annoyingly frustrating fragile reality, she raised her eyes to meet his giving a weak smile "I can't wait to get home, especially if you will be tucking me in."

….

Despite John's protests Virgil had stayed outside needing the fresh air and openness of the space outside rather than encase himself in the sterile walls of the ward. He had sat on the wall for an hour and watched Nurse Pattison leave and get on a bus outside the hospital half an hour after Nurse Ayub had entered. He kicked his feet against the wall waiting for an update, John had monitored Catherine on the CCTV since she had been stopped to perform a breathalyser test but he had lost her on a feed a few hundred meters away from the hospital in an area of blank coverage. Virgil felt the return of the bile to his mouth as he held his breath and a position outside the main entrance. He was certain that the most conspicuous entrance would be more likely than any of the others and she would enter as a visitor. The adrenalin built in his system and heart hammered within his chest as the thought of seeing her again came closer to reality. He broke from his reverie as his eyes were drawn to the figure of Nurse Patterson entering through the staff door to the building on the left of main entrance.

He clenched his fists and looked to John for confirmation "John can you call up the CCTV from the Red Cat 26 and tell me if Nurse Pattison is on it."

"Confirmed drivers side three rows back window seat."

Virgil's breathing became erratic, he started to shake as he struggled with realisation that she was in his sights but in different guise "John it seems we have contact, Nurse Pattison is now entering via the Murray Street entrance, The Hood has shared his toys, make sure the team on the ground are looking for her now just in case"

"F-A-B, What's the plan Virgil?"

"I'll keep eyes on her until either you or Penelope tell me we have what we need from the aircraft. John it's time to warn Scott and Kayo to be ready for her."

F-A-B

Virgil hung back a little, and watched from the external doors as she called the lift to level one, there was time to consider his options; she had half the hospital to walk through before she picked up the constant purple line instead of the overhead markers. As soon as she entered the lift he took the stairs at the side two at a time walking out of the swing doors and followed her journey down the corridor towards the ward.

The comms in his ear confirmed that Penelope had the tracker in place; however she needed more time to get the data from the plane's recorders. Virgil's mouth dried as he considered the choices open to him were dwindling fast leaving him only the one he was dreading the most.

"John I need to know what data Penelope has, is it enough?"

After a few seconds John confirmed what he feared the most "She can't pinpoint the originating airfield, flight plan posted later over the Baltic, Virgil we need more time with it, we can't rely on her going back empty handed, I think the Nurse better accompany the patient transfer."

Virgil sighed, clenching his fists so hard his nails made indents in the soft tissue of his palms "I agree, get Scott and Kayo off the ward and I'll meet them at the vehicle."

He trailed behind waiting until the overhead markers turned into the purple line, with the threat so close to the ward he decided it was time to buy a little time for Scott and Kayo to move without Catherine setting her sights on them, he took a deep breath and broke into a jog.

"Nurse Pattison…. Nurse."

Catherine stopped in her tracks at the sound of the familiar voice then she turned, smiled and waited with very little choice for the voice to catch her up.

Virgil gave her a breathless exclamation "I thought your shift had ended, maybe I could buy you the coffee I promised now."

Catherine took a deep breath and submitted to the change in direction as she was turned on her heels and led in the direction of the cafeteria. They passed the café and Catherine's heart hammered a warning

"I thought we were stopping for coffee."

Virgil gave her a warm smile "It's a beautiful morning, thought we could enjoy one in the sun, there's a vendor outside."

Catherine submitted to the inconvenient change in her plans, it seemed that she could get back into the hospital and do the job she had been sent to do, this was just an inconvenient delay. In a way the unlikely scenario amused her, coming face to face with one of them had always been a possibility but hidden behind the mask there was no immediate concern. Spending a little time with the man who in her other guise she had had eating out of her hand for a short period of time made her feel invincible and a little enjoyment while she appreciated the freedom this mission had given her seemed a fair indulgence. She took the coffee offered and sat with him on the bench feigning interest as he imparted how grateful he was to the staff for their care of his sister and his hopes that the rehabilitation centre she was going to in New Zealand would be able to get her back on her feet.

As she didn't have a clue about the current nature of her medical conditions it seemed best to stick to vague responses. "I am sure she will make a full-recovery, when is she leaving?"

Virgil' eyes were drawn over her shoulder and she was tempted to turn and take a look but didn't want the nerves now inexplicably building on the inside show on the outside. A shadow fell over her shoulder and another voice she recognised now filled her with dread.

"Virgil we're ready to go, Nurse Pattinson what a timely surprise. The patient has said her goodbyes to Nurse Ayub, she'll be relieved she can pass on her thanks to you in person." Catherine turned to see the blue eyes of the elder Tracy, her heart doubling the intensity of its rhythm.

Virgil rose and offered his hand indicating the vehicle the patient was in, she had the desire to run rise up and overtake her but she now had a Tracy on either side. The doors to the van were opened and she was face to face with the target who reached out her had to shake it forcing Catherine to have to get in to reach it.

Kayo smiled with a menacing edge "How lovely to see you, I thought we'd missed our goodbyes."

Catherine's voice started to betray its uncertainty "I wasn't aware you were transferring today…. otherwise I would have made more of a fuss this morning."

Kayo removed her hand from the nurses and whipped the bracelet from her wrist as the back doors closed on the van "The transport was arranged at short notice Catherine."

Kayo relished the shock on her face and smiled as Scott passed the sedative to Virgil who promptly stopped Catherine from responding.

As Catherine slumped and was strapped into her seat Kayo noted the looks between the brothers, mapped out on both their faces wasn't the excitement of the opportunity to get the location of their father. In each of the pairs of eyes in front of her she saw guilt and the silent regret of what they had been reduced to. Virgil gave her a weak smile as he exited the back doors of the van to make his way to the driver's seat.

Kayo strapped herself into a chair next to Scott resting her head on his shoulder "A necessary action Scott, you know that don't you, we had no choice."


	28. Chapter 28

Ch28

The ride to Garden Island was taken in silence, only Virgil had the distraction of a view from the window, the others were lost in their own thoughts. Kayo rested her head on Scott's broad shoulder her eyes not leaving the prostrate form of their captive. The short journey gave her the opportunity to think and plan their next move; last contact from John had informed them he had placed on record that the plane was impounded with the pilot being questioned by AAA for posting an incomplete flight plan, hopefully buying them a little time if enquiries were being made. He confirmed that Penelope still felt that the plane may come in useful but she had admitted defeat after acknowledging it was beyond her expertise to delve deeper into planes systems. John agreed that there was nothing else she could do and she should head straight to the International Airport to get the high altitude shuttle that would get her to England in less than eight hours. Kayo continued to direct her gaze at the sleeping form of Catherine, they had a little but not nearly enough, there was no guarantee that even in their care they would get her to open up. They needed everything they could get their hands on and Brains would be the best chance they had to get anything from the plane.

Kayo rose and knocked on the glass window separating them from the driver "Virgil ask Brains to go to the lab there's something he should look at before we are in the air"

Virgil pulled the van over and looked behind him wanting to give Kayo his full attention. "Why? ….Kayo surely it can wait an hour"

Kayo looked at Scott who mirrored Virgil's quizzical expression and she addressed them both "It seems so far we are matching them act for act and they do owe us a plane after all."

Scott turned to look at Virgil who was looking at him for direction, both knew the plane would be a useful addition to the search but it seemed unlikely that they would be able to just take it from the airfield. "You may have noticed Kayo but the pilot's out of it and I don't think she would volunteer to fly her anyway."

Kayo grinned at them both "She won't be flying her. Let's put out there on the airfield CCTV exactly what they are expecting to see."

Virgil was the first to jump in with the question poised on both of their lips "How are we going to do that?"

Kayo's heart was hammering in her chest as the excitement built, she had a chance for a little involvement before her enforced incarceration on the Island and she wasn't about to let it slip through her fingers.

"With a just a little help from Brains, when we get to Thunderbird Two we get him to check out this little device." She showed them the holo-bracelet and what she was planning started to dawn on them both "We give Scott a brief gender reassignment and he takes me to the airfield, we get picked up by Two over the Indian Ocean and it will look like the plane has gone off radar. They will assume we are both lost once the plane doesn't return."

Scott briefly noted the look of high amusement on the face of his brother "You want me to take the form of her?!"

Kayo laughed at the exasperation in Scott's voice "Well it would make it look like they have achieved what they wanted for a brief spell, we will have her back at the Island and we would be stupid not to take the opportunity for the plane if we can. Let's just take the chance."

Virgil could barely suppress his mirth "You never know big brother blond may suit you."

Scott shot him a look of warning leaving him in no doubt that he would not tolerate being the butt of his brothers jokes "Blond unlikely and breasts definitely not! Brains may not even be able to fathom the tech out. And Virgil quit while you're ahead I'm perfectly capable of flying Two and it wouldn't be the first time you have taken on the appearance of a woman"

Virgil started the engine eyeing his brother in the rear view mirror muttering under his breath.

As Scott returned to Kayo's side and she nestled back into his shoulder, she couldn't resist the lead Scott had given her "That's a family story I've not heard before, spill."

Scott grinned "Nothing really, just a bachelor party where the groom decided his best mates would thank him for dressing them as cheerleaders."

Kayo looked up giving him an incredulous look before returning her head to its comfortable position "How the hell has Gordon not spilled that tit bit of information?"

Scott laughed "I only found out by accident years later I think the photographic evidence is now safely destroyed, and Kayo if I do what you are asking if Gordon ever finds out I will 'out' Virgil, and you will find yourself side-lined for more than six months."

The vehicle came to a halt and the rear doors were opened, the sight of Thunderbird Two brought tears to Kayo eyes. She put it down to the exhaustion she had been trying to keep from Virgil and Scott, this was the nearest she had felt to home for days and in her eyes just the sight of the green beast confirmed she had made it back to them. She waited with Scott while Virgil extended its giant frame to allow the vehicle entry to the pod clinging to his arm as her head span and the exertion and emotion of the day caught up with her. Scott noticed her shaking and brought his arms around her shoulders, a comfort she needed as pictures of her time at the hands of Catherine started to torment her now she embraced the fact her ordeal was finally over. Her natural fight to quell the instinct for tears left her as she neared the familiar territory of Thunderbird Two and they silently mapped tracks down her cheeks. Once they entered the cockpit Scott settled her into the co-pilots chair and noticed the tears wiping them from her cheeks gently with his thumbs and kissing her softly on the lips. They were interrupted by Brains joining them in the cockpit; the scan of the device had Brains as excited as a child on Christmas morning, the smile emanating from his holographic form as he ran his diagnostics made Kayo grin. She got the impression as he clapped his hands with glee that this technology would become one of her more valuable tools when she was back to covert operations. Scott eyed her with a concerned look as he watched the little colour draining from her face.

"I'm gonna get Virgil to check you over when he's finished attending to our guest. If this is too much for you we head back without the plane"

Kayo took his hand "I'm fine Scott honestly, just a little tired and I'll have nothing to do but rest soon, if we want it to look like I'm captured and their mission is a success it'll only take a few minutes for us to give them everything they are expecting to see on the CCTV and then I'll be resting all the way home."

Virgil entered the cockpit once he had strapped Catherine into a medical bed, he looked at Kayo and instantly went back for the medical kit shooting Scott a look of unease and regretting the need to move her so quickly. The sooner she was in the medical wing at home the better, his brief examination indicated her blood pressure was raised and the move looked like it was harder on her than she was making out.

Virgil placed a hand on her shoulder "Let's start with some pain meds but if your blood pressure doesn't reduce then I think we forget the plane."

Kayo's eyes met his with a look of hardened determination "No way Virgil, this is it. We take our chances, we won't be in the air long before you pick us up and I promise as soon as we are home I'll join Alan and you can annoy the hell out of us both in the infirmary."

She looked at Scott as she acknowledged their playful plans disappear, the way she felt now she was surprisingly resigned to at least a few days under the watchful eye of her brother. The pain meds kicked in almost immediately but she now had a blurring in her right eye and tingles down her left arm. She wished for the blessed release of sleep but there was a job to do before she could allow herself to give in, she kept telling herself it was a short journey she could rest on the plane and soon enough she would be back home.

Brain's hologram brought her concentration back "V…Virgil time to give it a t…test, scanner function first the holographic representation should be almost i…immediate."

Virgil watched Scott eye the bracelet with suspicion, the thought of his brother taking on the mantle of Catherine amused him greatly but first he could see a little fun to be had. He took the bracelet form the connection point in Two and ran a scan of his brother enjoying the look on both Scott and Kayo's face as his features morphed perfectly into the form of his brother.

Kayo looked between the two of them "Well that's just weird."

Virgil smiled at her enjoying the look on his brother's face "With me in command you'll get less of the temper and a more level headed approach."

Scott walked up to his doppelganger and whispered in his ear "Pom Poms Virgil, Pom Poms. And if you think your secret is safe then I am sure your photograph wasn't the only one in existence."

Kayo smiled enjoying them in the most relaxed manner she had witnessed in them in a long time "and I think we should keep this between the four of us, this piece of kit will be more dangerous in the hands of Gordon than anything my uncle has used it for."

Both Scott's laughed at her, it seemed like employing a little humour was the best way to persuade the medical Scott that she could pull off this little operation before submitting herself to being sidelined for the foreseeable future. Virgil turned off the holographic function and took the bracelet off addressing Brains.

"Is there a time limit on the effect?"

"I can't tell without looking at it d…directly but I d…don't think so."

Kayo looked at them both "We all agree then, we take the plane."

Scott knew the plane was important but still felt better if Kayo was taking her ride back home in Thunderbird Two, the swift discharge from the hospital had been a necessary action but he was now starting to feel that it would have a lasting effect on her if they were not careful. "Let's get this over and done with and get home."

Scott took the bracelet to the sleeping form of Catherine, surprised even in her weakened state the anger and animosity that rose up in his system. This was not enough to pay her back for the pain she had caused them all, as the vision of Kayo and Alan on the Island returned to him he suppressed the desire to hurt her. Instead he scanned her and placed the bracelet on his wrist swallowing hard and hoping beyond hope that this part of the mission would be on a need to know basis, one thing he was sure of was that his other brothers did not need to know anything about this. He looked into the black screen of the monitor above the bed at the foreign reflection, he mapped out with his fingers a face that still felt like his own but the reflection branded him a liar. He heard the chortle of his brother and Kayo behind and turned to face them. Virgil carried Kayo over and placed her on the chair at the side of Catherine's bed then took a rotation of the new animated Catherine in front of him. In the hospital the sight of her had barely registered in her new guise, his main concern then had been to keep her from Kayo, when he had little other choice but to retrieve her for their own needs their actions had played on his mind more than the woman herself. Even as he knew the vision in front of him was actually that of his newly transformed brother the anger rising within him surprised him. They needed her now but there was nothing more certain in his mind that he would not feel that retribution had been fully delivered until she was in the hands of the GDF and starting her lengthy spell behind bars. He took a deep breath, in his mind when they gave her up their father would be home with them and the nightmare would finally be over.

"Speechless I see Virgil." Kayo commented as she took in the blurry vision of her brother agape at the new form of Scott.

She could see why, the touch Scott gave to her shoulder sent shivers down her spine making the hairs on her arms stand on end, it was more unsettling than she would be prepared to admit out loud. It was a relief when he removed the bracelet and transformed back into the man she was in love with.

Scott took hold of her hand "Well looks like it will work, think it's time to post a flight plan to Southern Norway for G-QRCK, time for John to let the airfield to know to request a take-off slot and register a pilot and passenger on board. Let's get the plan in motion."

Scott looked at Kayo her pallor now closer to white than she had been in ICU, she had obviously already done more than her body was prepared for and he would only settle when they got her home. A couple of hours he would be able to insist she rest, the damage they were now inflicting seemed too much to pay for what they were going to get out of it. They waited together until John confirmed that the airfield had refuelled the plane and they had a take-off slot allocated. It was agreed Virgil would wait for them to clear a few 100km off the west coast and pick them up cloaking them from view. Once clearance was received from the airfield Virgil released the van back onto Garden Island and carried Kayo to the back of the vehicle while Scott reverted back to the holographic image of the blond.

As Virgil closed the doors on the rear of the van and he opened the driver's door for Scott "There you go, ladies get the full Parker treatment."

Scott spat his retort "See you in the air and if the others hear about this then I know where it's come from."

"How much is it worth." Virgil laughed relieved that the return to the Island was underway.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again, Pom Poms, and a certain blond brother who won't let you live it down, this is a mission what's your excuse?" With that Scott pulled hard on the door handle shutting his brother out before taking a rueful look in the mirror at the reflection in full colour.

As Scott drove onto the dusty track towards their destination he realised the airfield Catherine had chosen as her point of entry seemed a perfect place for all sorts of illegal activity; they were barely challenged on entry to the outer perimeter and were briefly questioned by the only official presence they spotted on entry to the airfield itself. Scott spotted the cameras and made sure they got a clear look at him and Kayo leaving the van before he mimicked pushing his hand forcibly into her back while walking her up the steps into the cabin of the plane. In the familiar zone of the cockpit commencing the pre flight checks the routine of the simple action settled him and his mind wandered to what he had been reduced to, complicit in kidnapping and now the theft of a British registered plane. He had to focus on the reasons for the fraudulent nature of the plan they had come up with, he knew he would do it again if it meant he would see his father's face again soon. Finally after what seemed like an age he was given clearance and he lifted the plane into the sky and took it over Perth dipping its wings slightly in acknowledgement at the city he and Kayo had visited a just few weeks before where he knew for certain he loved her. He took the device from his wrist allowing it to drop to the floor as he flew out over the azure blue of the ocean, relief washing over him as the coastline was left behind him. He banked to the North taking a route over North Island and swallowed down the building emotion as he passed over the blackened corpse of Tracy One and the remnants of the cliff face to its northern edge.

The comms kicking in jolted him from his reverie "Catherine you have our quarry?"

Scott froze for a second before and hitting transponder code 7600 indicating radio failure in the hope the snarling voice was monitoring the ATC tower in Perth. He may have once looked like the pilot they were expecting for the airport CCTV but he certainly didn't sound like the blond.

"Catherine send in Morse…. You have the target."

Scott smiled as Kayo hobbled into the cockpit alerted to the radio traffic and fell into the co-pilots chair as Scott sent a simple affirmative in Morse. Both waited with baited breath for the next contact, hoping Virgil would not put in an appearance just yet.

"Catherine you are not to land to the airstrip north of Bergen. Take the grass strip to the west and my Agent will meet you there."

Scott struggled with a likely response; he heard the distant rumble of Two, so with little else for it he killed the comms and transponders completely. They felt the grapples attach and Kayo felt the familiar sensation of taking a ride courtesy of a bigger beast. Scott killed the engines and rose out of the pilot's seat, the look of elation in his face brought a mirrored grin to Kayo's.

She pulled herself up gently from the chair and wrapped her arms around him allowing him to take her weight. "Well we narrowed it down to a country."

Scott lifted her into his arms planting a kiss on her cheek "All eyes on Norway, looks like John may have something to work with, the plane Kayo, the god damn plane it has given us enough to start the search."

Kayo gave him a kiss in return "See a plane for a plane, I told you there was a certain sense of poetic justice, now if we can get that bitch to talk we'll save ourselves a lot of trouble by narrowing down the search area further. Remote is not the word for that part of the world. Do you think he's noticed we've disappeared from radar yet?"

Scott carried her into the cabin and gently placed her on one of the padded reclining seat "Let's not celebrate too early."

He took her face in his hands and kissed her, a lingering release before he took her breath away as the kiss got more licentious as the stress of the last few days played out in physical need. She pushed her arms gently against his chest to break free.

"Shit! Kayo sorry honey. Are you all right?"

"Just a little shaky and don't let that boost your ego Tracy… I just need to lie down for a minute and I'll be fine. This time I have to behave myself Scott, I'm not feeling so good." She smiled at him weakly trying to stay the fear she could see building in him.

Scott noted the colour in her face was now pale grey with a glistening sheen of sweat beading on her brow. "Not long now and we'll get you to the infirmary whether you like it or not." Within a few seconds she had fallen asleep in his arms and he kissed the top of her head watching the steady rise and fall of her chest "Well you pulled off your last covert operation for the next six months, you did it and we couldn't have asked for more."


	29. Chapter 29

Ch29

In a private room in the back of the lab on a remote Island on Norway's Fjord coast The Mechanic tried in vain to regain communication with the flight he had been pinning his future hopes on. He had paced the room non-stop since the plane had reported radio failure and then inexplicably disappeared from radar without posting a mayday call. After half an hour with no contact his rage hit full flow, he pushed the contents of the desk to the floor as he saw his contingency plan had finally slipped from his grasp. His few allies were open to the highest bidder in the cutthroat enterprise they'd all signed up for, for a brief moment he had been the man with the most power but now he was losing his influence with every second that ticked by. As his control unraveled before his eyes, he realised his eagerness to impress with a quick and easy action would now be his downfall after he had allowed contact from Catherine at the Island to deviate him from his plans. As he flicked on the news for confirmation the plane had hit the ocean his mind was contemplating a Plan B as a matter of urgency. He had already made himself close to redundant to requirements by delivering the drones prior to The Hood joining the key stakeholders in the venture, once he had delivered everything requested he now considered his own death warrant would be signed, he would be just be one more to add to the list of collateral damage after The Hood's plans had been conceived. He walked the small room from end to end with the few choices he had left to stay key to the operation playing round in his mind mocking him for the failure that now left him flailing in the wind to regain the upper hand. He had played his hand too early, given them everything apart from the space bound prototype which was now his only remaining ace in the pack unless he thought on his feet. He toyed with the computer system, the risk of the discovery of the mole outweighed his need for back-up and he knew his most powerful ally would be The Hood. He increased its speed to its destination, certain that one of his few remaining plays was to be the one to make first contact and knowing the sooner he made it the better.

He switched to the CCTV screen and monitored the cell; the old man was lying on the floor in a mass of bedding rocking backwards and forwards clutching the mangled mess to his chest, painting the sorry picture of a man in the grips of mental failure. This man now had to play a part in his contingency and he was determined that he would not leave his sight, even when he made the journey to England to take ownership of The Worm, he would ensure against orders that he accompanied him for safekeeping. One final action was needed before he settled into his new reality, control of the whole plan now needed to be in his own hands, before leaving the room he sent the final protocol sequences to the drones. If his requirement was not secured then the army could be destroyed as fast as he had created it. He stopped to breathe and silence the voices of doubt now he had hastily come up with a best case scenario; he gave one final check looking for the transponder ping from the plane. His hope was in vain, there was nothing to reduce the fear that the body of The Hood's niece would be plucked from the sea off the coast of Western Australia. As he switched his attention to the Australian news channel he had been following he received the confirmation he had been dreading on the rolling live news feed at the bottom, the plane had been reported as missing presumed lost. For the first time he realised that this was not the news he wanted to deliver at first contact and first contact was what he had claimed for himself. With Catherine gone his enterprise would remain a firmly guarded secret but when they got to the Island to claim the satellite for their own his involvement with her re-location to North Island may yet be his undoing if the fate of his niece was made clear to him. His heart began to hammer a warning that his contingency may not be enough to save his life. In the hope of seeing the miracle that Catherine had crash landed in one piece on the ocean he pulled a satellite image of the planes last location at the time communication stopped. As the image hit his screen the door swung opened violently turning his attention from the screen as the bulldog appeared with the expression of a man who had swallowed a bee.

"Where is the girl, a small errand you said and she has been missing for nearly a day?"

The Mechanic studied him before delivering the news that would silence the man on the subject for good. "Dead Abbott, you wanted her dead and I have delivered your wish, now leave me alone to prepare for England."

The man studied him a half smile decorating his lips at the news that the man in front of him still knew how to respond to an order "You are not to leave until I say so, if contact is made in my absence you confirm extraction plans and wait for my return. It was agreed when we financed your development that all main players would be brought here to witness governments clambering to buy into this technology, I am returning to collect our bank-roller and conduct a little housekeeping only then do we set the wheels in motion."

The Mechanic reigned in his impulse to release an immediate termination of contract to the short man with one hell of an attitude, the news of his impending trip started to perk his interest and it seemed more important to keep him talking "You seem certain The Hood will want immediate action on his return to us."

Abbott absentmindedly picked up items off the floor placing them back on the desk "There are too many questions being asked, time is of the essence. And now there is the small inconvenience of a couple of passengers booked on the High Altitude shuttle that need to be met head on when they set foot on home soil. This is no more than the one loose end we never managed to tie up before we resurrected the technology."

The Mechanic could not resist the contradiction "Two if you count Stubbins."

Abbot spat his retort "Stubbins hasn't remembered her own name for more than a year." He stopped picking up items from the floor and adjusted his tone "You are right but one thing at a time the immediate threat first and soon enough time will be up for Amelia."

The Mechanic smiled "and you are the man for the job I suppose, slight deviation from lap dog and coffee maker."

Abbott glowered red faced, his short fuse ready to ignite "Remember who you are talking to, without your British connections you would be rotting in an army jail." Beads of perspiration mapped their way down his brow and The Mechanic watched their trial before Abbot turned on his heels and left his parting shot at the door "Remember all players need to be on their way here before extraction and Hugh will require more time than the others to plan his leave from the GDF, contact him and give him forty-eight hours."

The Mechanic smiled "As ever your wish is my command."

"Just don't forget in my absence who you work for, The Hood has the co-ordinates to the Island, he is not your ally in this, you work for us, He will have his freedom, his niece and all the earth bound machinery he could wish for but it will all be redundant when we kick-off the global conflict from their space station."

The Mechanic smiled at his counterpart, playing two sides was always the best way to make sure you came out on the winning side and part of his new Plan B would be to keep his options open.

…..

Penelope eyed every passenger with mistrust at Perth International Airport, before making her way to the private lounge she needed one thing confirming, she knew the answer of course but something about the confirmation from John would mean she was one step ahead if only for the next eight hours. Taking Parker's arm she gave it a squeeze and excused herself to go to the airport bathroom. She noted his arched eyebrow of enquiry before she entered and smiled her retreat as unbidden he posted sentry outside the door.

Penelope scanned the toilets for company, entered a cubicle and took out her compact.

John smiled his greeting "Lady Penelope, it must be all of half an hour since we spoke. Can't wait for an update on the status of the plane?"

Penelope kept her tone level and her face expressionless "I have no doubt it is in your possession John. If I could impose on you to confirm if any passengers flying on my flight today have re-arranged their plans from yesterday's flight I would appreciate it."

John looked at her and his smile disappeared as the realisation of her need for the information hit "Penelope we can pick you up and take you back to the Island."

Penelope gave one of her well practised warm re-assuring smiles "No other assistance is required John."

John returned the findings in seconds "Two passengers, both male, same booking they missed check-in and re-booked for today's flight and a stewardess who reported sick yesterday and is taking the flight back today to make her next shift. Penelope is this something we should be worried about?"

Penelope laughed "Old habits die hard John. It's a routine enquiry when you change your travel plans in my line of work, now not a word about this call to Gordon."

John held her gaze for a moment which didn't flinch under the scrutiny of his eyes "I would have believed you Penny if you hadn't have added the bit about Gordon."

Penelope resigned herself to the truth of his statement "We'll make an agent out of you yet John Tracy."

John held her eyes then released them "Stalker maybe, I'll be monitoring you on all available CCTV feeds. Do you want me to contact the GDF?"

Penelope waved a dismissive hand "Quite capable of the call John if I deem it necessary, I don't want to gain a reputation for an over active imagination." With that Penelope terminated comms and went outside where Parker gave her a look confirming the adrenalin was pumping around his system.

Penelope knew the shuttle pod she had booked would give her some privacy, but the name at the top of Brains' list Archibald Drummond-Mason was her boss with eyes on his payroll all over the planet and it had unnerved her from her first perusal. As she entered the VIP lounge with Parker every sense she possessed was heightened to a potential threat, her eyes darted around the lounge looking for the misplaced, a person trying to blend in but standing out by default. The shuttle took fifty passengers if full, ten pods of five, she had taken the sole booking of one, a luxury her money could afford. She was counting the passengers now, covertly using Parker to allow her to take a turn around the room as he linked her arm feigning a leg cramp, if her instinct was right she was being watched. She took in her first impressions; all passengers were accompanied by the tell-tale adornments that would accompany those that could afford this method of transportation. The beautiful thing about money was it bought you a certain standard, each pod had their own table in the VIP lounge she had been allocated table nine. Tables eight and five were so far empty, she considered that even in this day and age when capitalist culture had gone mad certain services would not allow a discounted rate to fill spaces. Parker stumbled slightly guiding her to the view of table six, a family of four engrossed in the excitement of travel and a lone female. All eyes momentarily caught them in view and then went back to the game they were playing and book the young blond was engrossed in. Table one held an couple obviously in love whether legitimately together or illicitly, but quite possible those that had missed the flight if they had been as engaged with each other yesterday as they seemed to be now. The flight would be practically empty but pods three and four were full of business types enjoying the expenses paid trip. The others held lone passengers those with the biggest representation of wealth adorning them. God she had missed this, in less than five minutes she had done the full rotation with faces committed to memory, if her hunch was right one if not more of her fellow passengers would be tailing her out of the airport.

Parker took the seat in pod six with the body language of a man of eighty, embellished with a sharp groan as his body bent to take its seat. She looked at her watch, thirty minutes until they were in the air, the game of cat and mouse was about to begin and was now bigger than imagined when Colonel Casey had first advised her of the breach in the British secret service. She couldn't help feeling there was something she was missing, the money made from any deal to obtain the technology was not enough to entice the already filthy rich Drummond-Mason. She had known him a long time, even before he took his latest post and that man had no need for additional funds which amounted to small pocket change. She now had a deal breaker, in her time in England she would need to find the motivation behind the corruption.

She was pulled from her musings by her personal hostess indicating it was time to board, in eight hours she would be back in London and firmly planted into the lion's den. She was under no illusion that her supposed vacation had linked her to the Tracy's; Catherine had had plenty of time to make her a marked woman if she wasn't one already. She smiled at the hostess, showing no sign of the fragmented thoughts swirling around trying to make connections that would help her stay ahead of the game. Her thoughts in Perth had gone from worrying about her family to taking in everything the Colonel had been trying to tell her before Catherine had been taken in by them and she now knew with fear mounting that she had placed her Aunt Sylvia in danger. She was under no illusion that the dear old girl was well equipped to deal anything their line of work could throw at them, but to leave her with a list of enquiries and no prior warning of their significance was unforgivable.

They were settled into their pod and Penelope closed the doors indicating to Parker to scan the surroundings for listening devices. They were best placed now to make sure that if they were tailed out of the airport they had the luxury of a plan B, something unexpected. She gave a sigh, for the first time in a long time she felt the hairs in the back of her neck stand on end, this would be like St Petersburg all over again and she may as well start the ride with a glass of Krug.

"To blighty Parker and may it not be the end for us both."

Parker clinked his glass against Penelope's then returned it to the table eyeing the bubbles with suspicion "It seems to me M'lady, that Miss Kayo was in no fit state to be used bait and there are two of us."

Penelope noted the action and poured him a scotch "I knew you'd see the necessity of trying to draw them out Parker, we need them to make mistakes after all."

….

As Thunderbird Two dropped off G-QRCK onto the Tracy Island airstrip Scott lifted Kayo into his arms and waited for the feeling of wheels on the ground. The urgency for him to get her to the infirmary had been building with ferocity over the last half hour, her head had burned fearful heat into his arm as he cradled her. He had spend the last ten minutes feeling her raised heart rate beating it's increased rhythm into his chest indicating that a price had been paid for any information gained. He had a barely allowed the steps to hit the ground when he left the plane, in his urgency to get her into the infirmary he broke into a run, carrying her towards the equipment that would soon indicate whether her action to redeem the plane would have a lasting effect. He rounded the side of the pool and his eyes met Gordon's, sensing the severity of the situation Gordon ran to meet them and took the dead weight of Kayo from his arms.

"I've got her Scott, we prepped bay 2 for her."

Virgil made his way as quickly as he could from the hanger to the med wing carrying Catherine over his shoulder, passing her to Gordon to relocate and lock her in bay 5.

Virgil attached monitors, took bloods and tubed them down to the lab asking Brains to get to work in them immediately. He inserted an IV for fluids and easy access for any drugs he may need to dispense and then scanned the injury to the brain. Scott and Gordon watched transfixed as he worked silently while waiting for Brains to contact them from the lab with the results.

Virgil took the first readings from the equipment and addressed Scott directly "Scans clear, that's good, the nanos are still active and making the repair, as soon as we know what's caused her temperature to spike I'll treat it. Two's ready if I need to transport her to New Zealand."

Scott watched Kayo's pale figure started to shake violently "Virgil! For fucks sake Virgil do something."

Virgil ignored him and leaned over the patient allowing the seizure to take its course as he talked to her in a soothing tone, calming Scott and Gordon by default as he showed no signs of urgency while he waited for the seizure to abate. Virgil swallowed hard refusing to look at the eyes that were burning a hole in his back hoping that the reaction Kayo had was down to overdoing it on an ill advised transport back from Perth. It had been his decision to move her and he had agreed to her going after the plane he just hoped that the reaction she was suffering now could be treated at home, another transfer even with the safety of the medical equipment on Two would be ill advised until he knew what he was dealing with.


	30. Chapter 30

Ch30

Scott watched Virgil take another set of observations, distancing himself from the bed while his brother moved equipment around her and each time he witnessed the routine he could tell by his brother's silence her vital signs were getting weaker. He held himself back from marching to the lab to find out what on earth was taking Brains so long to get the blood tests back. His restraint was managed reluctantly by the clock, in reality he knew that only half an hour had passed and he tried to focus on remembering how long it had taken Brains to diagnose him with pneumonia. He barely noticed Gordon place an arm around his shoulder until he felt the squeeze, he wondered if the act served to reassure the bestower rather than the recipient.

Brains cut the silence in the room and Scott felt Gordon startle from his own thoughts the squeeze return to his shoulder "S…septis Virgil, its early stages we have an a…adequate management plan for the c…condition."

Scott relaxed at the audible sigh of relief from Virgil, pulled Gordon into a brief hug and ran to Kayo's side, immediately taking hold of her hand as he watched Virgil administer the dose of Metronidazole into a bag of fluid and attach it to her IV line. Gordon moved behind him embracing him in a bear hug his relief showing in his immediate desire to speak after staying quiet for so long.

"Early stages Scott, we can treat her at home." Gordon stated at great pace the need to fill the room with sound overwhelming him. "You hear that Scott she isn't going anywhere.

Scott looked up at him and refrained from asking if the 'anywhere' was a metaphor for 'going to die' and reached behind him placed his hand on his brothers giving it a squeeze. It was what Scott wanted to hear but somehow the safety net of her consultant seemed preferable. He couldn't help admonishing himself for allowing the risk and felt the weight of responsibility for the collateral damage, a stupid gamble for a plane that Penelope had not managed to get any information from. There were times when he wished he'd overrule the impulsive actions of the woman in front of him, this simple thought brought a smile, who was he kidding.

Virgil looked at him with a questioning arched eyebrow as he finished the first treatment "You letting us in on it."

Scott looked from Virgil to Gordon, relaxing now the first course of antibiotics had been started "Just thinking we should have insisted we leave the plane and imagining the scenario of Kayo actually listening to me."

"Unlikely." Virgil laughed.

"Not in my lifetime" Gordon added grinning from ear to ear now he had the brother's he recognised back in the room. When both Scott and Virgil relaxed enough to bat back and forth Gordon knew the worst was over and Virgil was confident of a quick recovery for his patient.

Scott ruffled the blond hair of his brother "Will never happen in mine, that's for sure." He turned to the brown eyes of the other "She's just sleeping then Virgil, you are sure it's not the head injury."

Virgil smiled at the need of Scott to have confirmation he could stop fearing the worst "Her little excursion was just too much with her body fighting an infection. She'll wake when she's ready but she will need to rest for a few days Scott. Virgil gave him a sympathetic look "So good luck with that."

Scott grinned "You can be my back up."

Virgil held his hands up in retreat from wingman duties "Just popping back now and then, I assumed you'd want to stay with her, I'll nick the bed from next door and you can start your date when she comes round."

Scott was surprised by the sound of venom in his voice as the real need for someone to stay with her dawned "Someone definitely needs to stay down here with her now that bitch is back."

Virgil walked towards his brother who had risen clenching his fists "Way ahead of you Scott, needed something to do while I pulled that plane home. Only Five and I can access the controls on that door, Five will allow access via voice recognition and only Grandma and I can enter without John's say so, its biometrically secured, iris recognition like the hanger. Brains had it up and running before we were half way home."

Scott prickled at his exclusion without John's permission "You thought I'd lose my temper?"

Virgil shrugged "I'm not comfortable with the prisoner scenario either, no-one wants her here but let's assume she knows enough to get us close. If we get nothing from her we'll get the Colonel to take her in but unharmed. We have broken rules Scott let's not make this something the Colonel can't get us out of."

Scott relaxed his stance recognising the logic without the need to argue "Have you spoken to Casey."

Virgil hit a tone in his voice he reserved for the delivering facts on a mission "Not yet but there has to be a countdown as to how long we can argue it is reasonable to keep her."

Scott sighed "How long she going to be out of it for?"

Virgil tapped his brothers shoulder "Sleeping like a baby for at least six hours, not sure I could cope with her being awake yet, I was kinda hoping it wouldn't be me that spoke to her."

"It won't be, it will be me." Scott snarled "and the sooner the better, don't dose her again I want her out of here as soon as possible before I fucking kill her."

Virgil ignored the outburst from his brother and readopting the calm tone bringing him back to Kayo and ignoring the sleeper a few doors down "Kayo will be out for a while yet, why don't you both go and see Al, I'll keep an eye here and get the room ready for you sir." He gave Scott a wink trying to bring the earlier cadence back.

Gordon steered Scott towards the door leaving Virgil taking care of Kayo and avoiding the threatening argument over the prisoner. As they walked into the next room both noticed the look on Alan's face, a practiced pleading for rescue from a smother session from his Grandma.

"Hey aren't you two a sight for sore eyes."

They both looked at each other, Alan was brighter than Scott expected after the transfer. His youngest brother adopted a comfortable position resting on one side keeping the pressure off the scars. He noticed a twinkle had returned to his eye now he had the familiar company of his rescuers, Scott considered the horror of the past few days had melted in the familiar surroundings of home and was glad to see a smile that was not forced.

Gordon bounced onto the end of the bed "Hey Grandma, why don't you make Al one of your specials. I'm sure he'd appreciate some more home cooking after the horrors of hospital food."

Grandma Tracy tried to suppress the smile as she immediately noted the change in Alan the sight of his eldest brother had brought "Gordon Tracy hey is not an appropriate greeting and you can take that smirk off your face or maybe I'll make something extra special for you."

Gordon waited until her back was turned and gagged much to the amusement of Alan "Thanks Grandma but am hoping to be returning FAB1 to its owner this evening, Brains isn't far off completing the repairs and I don't want to spoil my appetite."

Grandma turned and gave him a look that dared him to open his mouth again and left the room rolling her eyes towards the youngest.

Alan suppressed a smirk. "She's got you pegged Gordon Tracy, close to getting your middle name added there."

Gordon shrugged now he had the safety of distance "She'd be disappointed if we looked forward to dinner, it's her thing now, I swear that she's enjoys the stick we give her and is probably quite capable of delivering edible cookies."

Scott smiled "You might have hit the nail on the head there Squid, everyone needs their thing, you got bad jokes covered and Ali your homework avoidance schemes are ingenious."

Alan held his hands up in mock surrender "Hey Scott, not so squeaky clean yourself, you've got the dad thing down to a T."

As soon as he had said it Alan felt a pang of conscience, his face fell as Scott's eyes looked away from his. He instantly regretted the joke that would have gone without notice in the few days before Kayo had been taken. A few words said in jest pulled them back to the reality, each holding a silence while their independent thoughts turned to their father alive somewhere unknown and with little control to do anything about it.

Scott snapped out of the reverie first "It's OK Al, I swear to you that in a few weeks it will be as if he never left." Scott gave him the face he'd practiced a million times talking to people that needed nothing more than the surety of a positive outcome for the ordeal they faced. When he heard the door open and Virgil enter he breathed a sigh of relief that the distraction had diverted the youngest blondes' eyes although he felt Gordon's piercing him.

Virgil ignored the obvious tension "Scott she's coming round you want to sit with her, Gordo and I will entertain Al."

Alan chipped in determined to break the icy silence the three had adopted "Why you gonna do a number?"

Virgil walked over placing a hand on Scott's shoulder to enforce his permission to leave the younger two in his care "Maybe a lullaby Al, you need to rest."

Scott smiled his gratitude for the escape and moved next door smiling as he entered and saw a little colour had returned to her cheeks.

"Hey, how you feelin?"

Kayo foisted herself up on her pillows "Hey yourself and just hunky dory. You know this is my fave place to hang-out at home."

Scott blew her a kiss and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed "Take you back to Perth if you want."

Kayo leaned forward and took his hand rubbing her thumb over his "Promised that before and all I got was a lousy hospital visit. If I ever set foot in Perth again it will be when I can take the bike out on that coast road."

Scott kissed her cheek and took up a semi reclined position next to her with his feet dangling over the edge "It's a date."

Kayo removed her hand from his and gently caressed his jaw line, pulling him towards her before lightly kissing him on the mouth briefly before smiling her amusement at him "Full of promises Tracy, so far we've been a little short on dates and I see the stay on the medical wing is for the foreseeable." She indicated with her eyes rolling in the direction of the other bed. Scott's arm rounded her shoulder and her head lay to rest on his chest, looking up at him as she suppressed a smirk as she caught him trying to straighten his face

"Well if madams not happy I could always leave you to it and have a good night's sleep starfishing across my own bed."

Kayo shrugged "I suppose I have to make the best of a bad hand. So tell me how long have I been out?"

Scott pulled his free arm around her "Just a couple of hours."

Kayo lifted herself off his chest "Anybody questioned her yet?"

Scott kissed her forehead "Not yet, I'll deal with her tomorrow she's out for the count now."

Kayo studied his expression then nestled back into his chest with a contented sigh "We need her to open up Scott send Virgil and if she doesn't give him anything in twenty-four hours I'll reign down psycho cop from hell and see where that gets us."

"You're a long way off leaving this room."

"Don't be so sure of that, once these antibiotics have kicked in and I'm on an oral dose I'm outta here."

Scott brushed his hand under her jaw and lifted it to make eye contact "If you'd seen how pale you'd gone just after this little chat I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Kayo lifted herself up and kissed him running her fingers through his hair parting to whisper her get out of jail free card "We had plans remember Scott and that includes you getting me out of here."

They were disturbed as Gordon came bounding into the room "Eeew PDA so not cool"

Kayo quipped "It was a private display until you interrupted Squid, what's the hurry anyway."

"John's got eyes on the airfields west of Bergen, there's only two and three within 50miles north, as we've narrowed down the search area at least, he thinks a briefing may be in order."

Scott kissed the top of Kayo's head, just going to the ring to speak to John, get some rest and I'll be back soon."

Virgil, Scott and Gordon sat around while a holographic John gave them the locations of the two airfields and showed them the layout of the surrounding landmass.

"The possibilities are endless in the surrounding terrain, lots of Islands, cliffs and space to hide a ship of that size we need to narrow it further."

Scott looked at him "Any suggestions, I'm taking the trip anyway but looking at that terrain I could do with a smaller search area."

Virgil rolled his eyes at his elder brother "Think about it Scott, this isn't a one man operation and you'll not be able to bring him home single handed even if we have a precise location."

Scott straightened "No, but someone needs to pinpoint the location before we all go in with GDF assistance."

John jumped in "Then we need to rig three receivers in place to pick up on the frequency the drones if they're deployed we got them"

Scott saw the opportunity for immediate action "Give me the kit and I'll take Shadow out."

Gordon stalled the exchange between the eldest two "Hey I'm taking FAB 1 back anyway, get Brains to load Two with the kit, give me the locations and I'll set up the receivers before I come home."

John looked at him "Makes sense Scott, don't want to tie too many of the birds up in case we need them. Well Gordon, Shetlands are due west from Bergen then we need a transmitter 200k North East and South East should give enough scope if they come out into the open to locate where they came from"

Gordon smiled at Scott "Well Scotty looks like the fish is going fishing."

…

Penelope had assessed the VIP arrival section as quickly as she had departures in Perth, the business men had long since disappeared not requiring to wait for their personal baggage porter as they only had carry-on luggage. The Family were waiting patiently by their pod desk for their luggage porter but the eyes of the once honeymooning couple were drawn towards her. She considered their loved up demeanour in the departure lounge long gone, as the two men now turned towards them waiting for their move.

"Parker we have now have eyes on the expected company wouldn't you say."

Parker straightened the kinks he'd adopted and gained an inch in height "Yes m'lady, but they will wait until there are less witnesses. I wish we had our transportation m'lady, show 'em what were made of in no time"

Penelope took his arm discarding the idea of waiting around for the bags "Me too Parker, our options are limited wouldn't you say?"

"Shall we head to the bar m'lady?"

"Perfect place Parker, and time to arrange for a distraction." Parker looked at her with an enquiring glance "Time to announce my engagement and leave in a melee of reporters wouldn't you say Parker."

Parker smirked at Penelope's confident plan b "And the lucky gentleman?"

She laughed "Like you have to ask, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward with what amounts to a bit of rough in certain eyes, new money and younger than me. In our circles I will be causing a tsunami let alone waves, I can just see Rita at Tattler now, she'll be raising a glass and breaking out the cigars, her readership will love it."

"Are you going to warn the young gentleman in question?"

Penelope smiled "Now where would be the fun in that, bar then Parker and you make the call. I'm sure that our couple will be taking drinks with us within minutes."

As expected their short walk out of departures to the bar was mirrored by the couple walking a few paces behind, they looked at each other as the detour became clear and took a seat at the entrance on some high stools watching their targets with interest as they ordered and took seats close to end of the bar. Penelope and Parker sipped their drinks and waited for the arranged diversion, it seemed the London grapevine was in full flow and within fifteen minutes a deluge of reporters and TV crews descended. Parker waited for the view of the men to be obscured before demanding the rat run out of the back of the bar as a means of escape, a well practiced method for all celebrities caught in a recent scandal and one the bar staff were well practiced to handle. As Parker walked past the barman to descend the stairs into the cellar he pushed payment into his hand.

"Thanks Fred, I owe you."

"You're welcome Aloysius, anytime."

Penelope looked at him briefly smiling her gratitude for his thought for detail before entering the darkened cellar, feeling her way for the familiar click of the cellar exit into the loading bay.

"It won't take em long m'lady to work out we're heading to the car park."

"If we can just get to the Tracy garage we have friends in high places."

Parker smiled and pushed in front of Penelope. "What I'd give right now for a weapon m'lady."

They ran through the loading bay and made their way to the lifts at the far side before they heard the rattle of the shutters on the other side.

Parker kept the usual relaxed compose when in a tight spot on active duty by breaking the silence, needing to know his charges thoughts but refusing to alarm her by his uncertainty "Just like the old days M'lady."

"Less of the old Parker." Penelope whispered as she increased her pace.

The urgency became apparent by the closer proximity of the following footfall, they chose to continue the run without talking. They descended the steps down one level, bringing them to street level on the other side of the main buildings. A final burst across the familiar street and they were within metres of the Tracy garage as a bullet whistled over head.

"Seems they diverted along the way for some hardware Parker." She placed her eye to the access controls and the doors lifted and lowered within seconds. Both fell to the ground breathing a heavy sigh of relief as the shutter hit the ground. Flicking on the CCTV screen she watched as they pointlessly wasted shots on the access control systems.

"Looks like it's time to contact our friends and congratulate Brains and a nifty piece of bullet proof technology."

Parker lovingly caressed Jeff's Bentley, think we'll call from the comfort of the Duchess m'lady."

…

Scott lay back on Kayo's bed with his arms wrapped round her, he'd already made up his mind to take the trip to Norway as soon as Gordon returned. He just didn't know quite how to tell her that the long shot was enough for him and he was going alone until they had something more. Kayo was leaning into him absentmindedly flicking through articles on the news feed on her i-pad when she stopped open mouthed as an old picture of Gordon hit her screen with the caption _Tracy wins aristocrat's heart_.

"Well what the hell's all that about?"

Gordon rushed through the doors and both noted the marked difference in his usually relaxed features.

He noticed the screen both Kayo and Scott's were looking at which stopped him in his tracks "Well, apparently I'm engaged and may just hold her to it too." A brief grin erupted before disappearing "Penny's called she's trapped in our garage at City Airport she needs help with her exit, she has a couple of goons outside shooting the shit out of the shutters for all the good it will do them. She needs John's help to create a diversion and I need to go get her now. FAB1 and the kit for the rig are ready so looks like my solo mission is up."

Scott jumped to his feet. "Don't wait up; get your rest I'll be back later." He kissed her on the head as an afterthought and bounded out of the room following his brother towards the ring.


	31. Chapter 31

Ch31

Kayo watched Scott and Gordon leave the medical wing, she felt redundant, superfluous to requirement, rage started to build and tears started to well in her eyes, in all her time on active duty she had never felt so utterly devoid of use to them. Not knowing what was going on was foreign territory, the bed she had been placed in may have well been a prison cell back on the Island for all the good she was doing here. Her hands gripped the covers causing a sharp pain where the cannula had been placed to shock her out of her pre-disposition to feel sorry for herself. The pity party she was single handily throwing herself had to stop, whatever was happening in the ring did not need her up here taking up valuable resources because either of her nurse maids were in fear for her mental health. Clenching her fist again and again, the sharp pain helping to kick start her. Her mind entered a state of enforced overdrive, thoughts racing around trying to find the reasons why Penny needed their assistance after barely setting foot on home soil. Her head was now spinning trying to pull coherent thoughts together, reminding her of the time she had needed to get a grip on Tracy One to save her own arse. This time it was her closest friend and she grasped at scenario after scenario trying to find anything she could do from distance that she could do to help her.

There was no denying the fear she felt for her, the urgency in Gordon's brief visit had been undeniable, his shock had been hidden well behind his amusement at his surprise engagement. His default action had always been to find a lighter side of any serious situation but she knew him well enough to know he was scared, more than scared, his face told its own tale, he was petrified of losing her. Why Penny had placed herself in danger she could only guess, whether it was by design or ignorance only time would tell but the more she thought about it, it was a dire miscalculation. Facing a threat before leaving the airport she could only assume hadn't even occurred to her. Even after sharing details on the list of names at the hospital there had been no real talk of any of them posing a danger to them, she herself had been the initial target. If she didn't know Penny better she would suspect she'd had a little time to think about it, the diversion arranged had been a little to clean for Kayo's liking. The more she had time to think about it she came to the same conclusion, Penny was trying to draw them out and so far on results she seemed have got her wish.

There was something she couldn't leave alone, one thought making her feel sick to the pit of her stomach, as Head of Security everything that had happened to the family in the past week was her responsibility. She had failed them all miserably, allowing a stranger free reign of their home in the first place, Virgil had seen the mistake and secured the medical bay that housed their guest on her second visit. She had made herself a victim by not doing her job and she had rendered herself useless to them now. Her stomach lurched, a mix of guilt that she had allowed Scott to consume so much of her time and energies and acknowledgement of failure. Alone and shaking the bile built and she vomited, looking with distaste at the brown shame decorating the sheets in front of her she thumped her hand down hard in frustration. The tears that had been threatening fell in freefall, mapping streaks down her cheeks and she stifled the sob. She lay back defeated, closing the eyes that betrayed her weakness, the enforced darkness aided the nausea to abate and the fist now in default clenching brought a pain she now craved. The sharp stabs punishing her helped her to summon the strength to kick herself up the arse and do something, anything that would make a difference. With the lack of comms there came a lack of control, she risked lying in a bed while watching the whole thing play on around her endangering everyone she loved. She lifted herself out of the bed, grabbed the IV stand and started the slow journey to where her clothes and comms bracelet were discarded on the chair, breathless from the short burst of activity she took a seat and then activated her hologram in the ring.

Kayo could only imagine her appearance, tear stained, weak cutting a pathetic figure but she was determined to control her voice "Can anyone join the fun?" She watched as they all stared at her "Penny what's going on?"

Penny's holographic figure studied her and smiled sympathetically "It seems public transport gets you noticed, Parker and I have a couple of undesirables outside the garage waiting for us to leave. We've discussed the benefits of us splitting up for a short time. He's going to take his leave in the Bentley and I will wait for the coast to clear and ….." She eyed Kayo expecting a reaction; wanting a reaction from her friend that would distract her from whatever she had done to herself in the short time she had been left alone "I was thinking of taking your bike."

Kayo processed the information "Take a car Penny, they are armoured." She backed up her argument with information that was bound to get the others on side "One lesson I gave you one lesson, you're going to get yourself killed without a bullet being required to do the job."

Penelope ignored the direct request and changed the subject "I think there is a chance I may have been at the top of the list for this sort of reception whenever I chose to come home, Aunt Sylvia thinks my little retirement party has been planned since I left. Needless to say I've asked her to cease enquiries on my behalf now I'm home." She held eyes with everyone in the ring one after the other holding Gordon's the longest, hoping the next statement would bring him out of his vacant expression "Don't worry I intend to blend in with the retreating paparazzi and now I am here I am not giving up on gaining a little intelligence." Kayo realised she was next in line for the _I'm a big girl who can look after myself_ reassurance from the steely blue eyes projecting from the hologram "Oh and apologies for not requesting permission but Parker has made quite the Hells Angel out of me, I enjoyed it so much when we went out I thought I would be forgiven a little indulgence"

Gordon started to pace the ring "Penny I'm coming for you, stay there."

Gordon's agitation was clear in his voice no matter how nonchalantly he had tried to deliver his instruction. While she was safe behind the bullet proof outer shell of the garage he didn't want her going anywhere. He knew Penny and while she was deploying every look and smile in her armoury to seem relaxed and in control there was an edge to her voice he hadn't heard for a while, in fact he hadn't heard it since she had lost her friend Molly to a hostile action in the field.

Penelope held his gaze, wishing they had the luxury of a private conversation before she left the garage "You do that Gordon it will be lovely to see you again and bring around the car but we won't be meeting here." She smiled warmly at him, her eye contact holding his as if there was no-one else in the room "Parker is missing FAB1 terribly. Remember the family safe place I perked your interest with, it's about to come in useful. I will not be going home, I will not set foot anywhere they will expect me if ….when I make it out of here I'm going to the residential home first to speak to Amelia. Then Gordon I'm going back to where I said my family's reputation lies tatters." She smiled as Gordon stopped his pacing to smile weakly back at her as the memory of a long forgotten conversation came back to him. "I'll follow up the other leads when we have our preferred transportation back. She really is the best old girl for the job. Oh and try to stay discreet Gordon I may have made you hot property so I'd stay dressed in Thunderbird blue." Penny laughed trying to bring the trademark grin that had been missing from his face back to her.

Scott, Virgil and John all broke into a smile as unusually pale face of their brother went instantly pink and showed no signs of stopping until found a match for the red of their youngest brother's bird, the blush spread so quickly it reached the tips of his ears in seconds.

Gordon hid behind his usual default action when avoiding unlooked for attention "Always been hot property sweetheart, it's just taken you a while to realise it. Shall we pick out rings while I'm there?"

Penny playfully rolled her eyes in mock frustration trying to mask her own embarrassment at the cover story she had perhaps a little too eagerly clung to in retrospect "I think my main priority is my need to get out of here. And If I can speak to even a couple on the list before I disappear it will make the inconveniences found so far on this trip worthwhile. I've got a hunch that the dear old Professor in Cambridge has played her own game of cat and mouse since the earliest deaths, the timeframe in which she was taken out of the game is within a week of the last suicide." She shifted her attention from Gordon certain he had regained enough of himself "Brains, Kayo we need to work on that other list and build up a picture of contacts between the development team after the project was shelved."

Scott had heard and processed enough of Penelope's statements to warrant him to demand his agent stand down "Penny go straight to the safe house, we're pulling you out and we'll bring in the GDF." He watched from the corner of his eye Gordon refusing to stay inactive any longer and taking the route to the hanger without announcing his departure.

Virgil followed Scott's eyes and without the need for him to tell him what he was thinking he immediately rose to follow Gordon to assist with loading FAB1 into the Pod.

John watched them leave and addressed Penelope directly "I've got the CCTV feed up from outside the garage, the two men are on the other side of the street out of shot of our camera but I've got access to the street feed. Do not leave, one's moving around the back of the building looking for another way in. I've sent the local police a 999 call responder time 2 minutes, hold tight until I confirm their arrest. Before you leave pre agree a rendezvous within a couple of miles and send me the data I'll monitor all cameras on route but cease enquiries, Gordon's coming for you now, you go nowhere else but your safe house is that understood Penelope or I'll insist the GDF take you in for your own safety."

Penelope took a deep breath "No GDF assistance and you know why. Do you really think I'll be safer in their hands? Just look at their assistance so far, only The Colonel can be trusted and she is in Darwin." She gave him a look which instantly told both Scott and John they were not to countermand her. She turned her attention to Kayo who had turned ghostly white "I think it's about time someone returned to the patient. I'll be in touch if I need any further assistance. Thank you for your help John, as always much appreciated."

Penelope's hologram disappeared and the others looked around.

Scott was first to speak "John I want Penelope monitored at all times. It will be a couple of hours at best before Gordon gets there. I want to know every detail about her journey, monitor the rendezvous' point, make sure it's safe and keep in touch with them both, regular updates John, I'll go keep an eye on the patient but keep me informed"

Kayo interjected trying to deflect the attention from Penelope's last statement about her "John patch my comms into the ones in my helmet and you keep in touch with Parker on those in the Bentley."

…..

Once John had confirmed the presence of the airport police Penelope took the bike to the rear entrance giving Parker a nod after the CCTV confirmed their departure. With the darkened windows in the back of the vehicle they were banking on any attention being the sole property of the Bentley, which she had no doubt Parker could turn into a deadly weapon if required.

As he raised the shutters to make his leave from the main entrance, she walked over to him before he returned to his adoptive vehicle and placed a kiss to his cheek "You know the pick up once you are sure you are not being tailed, I won't be far behind if the coast is clear."

"Yes M'lady." He placed a hand to her shoulder "Just a minor inconvenience we'll be back at full capabilities before you know it"

Penelope waited another ten minutes before the first of the paparazzi bikes appeared in retreat from their wasted journey and then joined the tail end of the convoy at slower pace. As they rounded the university campus to take the exit back into central London she turned in the opposite direction to meet up with Parker on the North Circular. A glance over her shoulder confirmed at least for the moment she had no immediate concerns. The bike she had to admit was an exhilaration, the speed though sedentary at best compared to her pillion experience with Kayo, but being so exposed to the traffic made her feel alive and on the edge. Without the usual protection of her right hand man the adrenalin rushed through her system making her giddy with her new found freedom and while she had nothing to warrant panic her unfamiliar solitude, the relief of being out of her entrapment was a fresh as the wind hitting her body. She kept an eye on the surrounding traffic which as she headed towards the North Circular was stop start at best. She found it easier to weave in and out of the cars rather than sit behind and wait it out. Taking a regular view in her mirrors she had an eye on the traffic behind making note of each vehicle and its movements, she noticed immediately the entrance of a vehicle causing immediate concern as it raced up the slip road behind her. She now had a following bike in the middle lane sticking out like a sore thumb keeping her pace three cars behind.

She activated the agreed signal to Parker who returned his confirmation he had made it to the agreed junction on the North Circular. She pushed hard on the throttle, the exhilaration at being on her own turned to fear as the bike increased speed behind her and make up some of the distance. It looked set to ghost her every time she changed lane. Kayo may have been right, although a car would have meant she had to use the same exit from the garage as Parker it would have kept her more protected. Taking the line between the middle lane and the outer she watched the bike behind follow suit, forcing her to resort to the comms built into the helmet and hoping Parker would talk her through an action.

She tried to keep the panic out of her voice "Parker I have somewhat drawn attention and not the sort I am accustomed to."

"Don't worry M'lady it's all in hand two miles to rendezvous, burst of speed now M'lady you'll be here in no time."

Penelope was indignant at the thought of what Parker thought her journey time would be without instruction "Parker I wasn't thinking of pulling over for a tete a tete. Any suggestions when I get there?"

"It's all taken care of m'Lady."

…

Virgil prepped Two with Gordon noticing that the forced upbeat demeanour present at the tail-end of his conversation with Penelope and away from the others had disappeared to be replaced a unusually maudlin expression.

Virgil lay a hand on his shoulder stopping him mid task "Squid, she will be ok, John will get her all the help she needs."

Gordon shot a look of anger, Virgil knew it was not directed at him but it surprised him all the same "Did you hear her talking about her retirement like it was nothing, Virgil do you know what that is in her line of work?"

Virgil pulled him into a hug "I know Gordy, I know." Virgil patted his shoulder as Gordon broke the contact of the brief embrace "Do you want some company on the trip?"

Gordon looked at him with his brown eyes set and determined for the solo mission ahead, he knew Virgil could tell he was half tempted to take up the offer but the pretence he played out all the same "No you stay here. You have two patients to look after and we need all available pilots for One and Shadow if …. when we get a location confirmed. If you get a anything I'll meet you there. It's just a shame I can't stow Four as well as FAB1, have you seen those Fjords, they are extensive?"

Virgil sighed knowing what he had to say next was not what his brother wanted to hear "Gordon you have a point, you will need to come straight back. Four may be more important in this than we've given credit to, those drones didn't seem to like the water."

Gordon hardened his stance "Only when Penelope is safe Virgil. You do get that? Right now I can't think of anything else. Penny to safety and then I get the rig in place." He sighed looking at Virgil's worried expression and gave him a wink "I know you miss me when I'm gone, I'll be back before you've had time to pick out the suit for my wedding"

Virgil grinned "Penelope's going to regret using that cover story. You'll be like a dog with a bone now. I always had a feeling you were going to be first little brother." He ruffled Gordon's hair, relieved that his trademark grin had returned "You'd better get going and Gordon, damsel in distress mission or not, not one scratch!"

Gordon chuckled "You didn't even notice the last one."

He took the hydrolic lift up for the alternate route into the cockpit of Two and gave Virgil a salute before closing the hatch.

"This is Thunderbird Two commencing launch sequence. Thunderbirds are Go."

….

Penelope changed lane to the inside anticipating the exit ahead watching as the bike followed suit, her head was spinning now, Parker had a car, a bottle of Mace, and a lock picking kit, she couldn't imagine what the grand plan was. The rider following mimicked her movement and Penelope's heart hammered the warning that time was running out, perspiration was mapping tracks down the back of her neck. The helmet comms sprang to life and the voice of Kayo pulled her out of her fears and brought her back to a state of control.

"Have you made it to Parker? Penelope how long until the junction?"

"Kayo, don't tell me you have any bright ideas from your sick bed."

"Penny just get to Parker dump the bike and get the hell in the car, John pulled the reg of the bike off the CCTV and reported it stolen. Just get to the Bentley, you're a sitting duck on the bike, Parkers under the far side of the bridge pull up in front, allow the armour on the vehicle to protect you. Then you go straight to the safe house, Penelope do you hear me straight there. Gordon's on his way and I think you will agree any further adventures should be avoided until you have FAB1 back."

"I couldn't agree more my friend." Just having the voice along for the ride had made all the difference to her.

Penny kept up her speed until the final moment at end of the slip road easing off only to make a small gap before an oncoming truck bore down on her. She pulled out to the outside lane noticing the bike behind had to halt completely before starting off again. Switching to the inside of the roundabout, she caught site of the blue Bentley with the engine running and the passenger door open. Sliding the bike to a halt in front of the vehicle she turned and faced the other bike, the rider astride it now with arm outstretched lining up a shot.

Briefly Penelope froze, barely able to take in the figure before her pointing the gun, the first bullet flew a hairs breath from her shoulder kicking her into life, she dived to the floor before making her way round to the open passenger door on her hands and knees. She looked into the car horrified when the face she was expecting was not in the driver's seat.

Losing her legendary cool she screamed over the comms "Kayo where's Parker?"


	32. Chapter 32

Ch32

Kayo lay back on the bed her heart thudding, the panic in her friends voice was something she was unaccustomed to, a second passed, it felt like a lifetime before she heard John's voice over the comms. John had the luxury of a live feed of CCTV while she was listening to it play out like a radio drama she used to listen to with Grandma at the farmstead on a Saturday evening while the boys were captivated by the screen. John's calm narrative stopped her from needing to respond to her friends desperate plea.

"Parker, on foot, range six metres and closing. Now!"

As Penelope heard the comms traffic relief overwhelmed her, the voice of John confirming she wasn't alone was enough to calm the panic. Kayo's heavy breathing in her ear accompanying the sound of her own heartbeat were a background soundtrack for the fear she was trying to push down while she waited. The calm voice started a mechanical reaction; she sidled over the handbrake to take control of the vehicle. When she heard the click of the boot the realisation hit of just where the missing chauffeur may be. She took a deep breath to steady herself, she lived on faith of her friends and although she knew in her heart that Parker would not have deserted her by choice, knowing he was still close by pulled her back to the present and what may be required of her. Whatever the plan he and John had concocted while she was trying to reach the rendezvous was now her only chance for escape and she needed to be ready to move the car as soon Parker made himself know to her.

She took a look over her shoulder, the boot now blurred her view, she heard the shot, then another but the lack of sightline left her to guess whether the second shot she had heard hit Parker. As she replayed John's instruction there was no doubt in her mind Parker had fired first. The wait felt like an eternity, she imagined the body of Parker hanging over the boot but while the rider was still out there she knew her options were limited. Her eyes were pinned to the wing mirror, her only aid to confirm the rider's whereabouts all she could make out was the discarded bike at the roadside, nothing else in the view aided her interpretation of the scene. The car was running, she started the count in her head, five seconds, she owed him that before she took control of the Bentley to meet up with Gordon at the agreed location. _Four_ , she didn't want to leave him but a couple of vehicles had pulled over. _Three_ , her foot rode the clutch her hand nursing the handbrake. _Two,_ the rear door opening pulled her from the count in her head, she had left it too late, her determination that Parker would make it had cost her dearly. She raised her eyes to the mirror ignoring Kayo's pleas for information. John's calming voice barely registered, Penelope closed her eyes and braced herself for the shot at point blank range to the chest wondering why her last thought on the planet was how grateful she was for the helmet sparing Gordon a view of a body shot through the head.

"M'lady I think I had better do the driving and I think its safe enough to remove the helmet once you are inside the vehicle."

Penelope exited the car pulling Parker into a hug took a brief look at the prostate rider and a few cars stopped beside them, the occupants with mobile phones attached to their ears looking directly at the Bentley. As soon a Penelope hit the back seat and closed the door Parker floored the vehicle before the few witnesses turned into a baying crowd.

Penelope turned to look over her shoulder "Parker they're taking a picture of the car and it's registered to the Tracy's."

Parker waited for her eyes to meet his in the rear view mirror "No plates M'lady. Let's get some distance between us and them. May I suggest we forget Ely for now take some breathing space and I'll re-secure the plates when we have a little distance."

Penelope's breathing started to return to normal aided by the matter of fact way Parker was speaking to her "I don't suppose I dare ask where you got the gun from."

Parker smiled "Mr Tracy insisted on a little protection for him and his boys when in London. When they were younger he was in constant fear of them being the target for a kidnapping so I helped him haquire one, not as easy for 'im 'ere as back home. I knew the Duchess was the right call."

Penelope settled back in the opulent back seat "Oh Parker it never ceases to amaze how little I actually know about you. Do we have company? What I mean is you have just shot a man and we have witnesses."

Parker sighed the sooner he got his charge somewhere and she could relax the better, the activity since landing had unnerved her more than she was letting on "It was barely a wound, just shot the gun out of 'is or 'er hand then clipped em in the other shoulder. I'm afraid 'e'll will be up and about within a few minutes but I'd like to see the scumbag handle their bike now. John will make sure there is no footage and put the CCTV out of action for a while so we can disappear"

Penelope sat back and relaxed, relieved at least she would not be implicated in murder. She closed her eyes to aid regaining a little composure, now in a vehicle that offered protection and back with her right hand man with only the speed they were fleeing the scene linked to the recent action. She sighed as she realised there was one thing she needed more than anything else, she took out her compact and the smile that greeted her was infectious.

"John has kept me updated, bloody hell Pen that was close, I suppose now you will think about behaving yourself and taking Scott's advice. Straight to the agreed spot and once I've finished with the rig I'm bringing you home."

He watched as the colour returned to her face and a warm smile met his "I agree that waiting until I have protection may be in order but then I finish what I came here to do, the bike ride was one thing, the close proximity to the gun quite another. I need my car Gordon and you know where to meet me."

Gordon watched the resilience return to her features "You just keep me away, but Penny I have a job to do and I'm not sure how long I'll be around to protect you before I head out."

Penny rolled her eyes laughing at the puzzled look on Gordon's holographic face "FAB1 Gordon, of course I mean the car."

Gordon winked at her "Let's just see shall we I bet I get a warmer welcome than the car."

Penelope saw Parkers eyes in the rear view mirror, his eyebrows raised as he listened to her conversation with Gordon.

Penelope smiled her amusement "We shall see Gordon, I suspect Parker would rather see his girl."

Parker gave a nod of approval.

Penelope returned her gaze to Gordon "We should arrive within the hour and your ETA?"

Gordon winked at her "Why Penny? Do you want the chance to slip into something a little more comfortable?"

Parker gave a cough and Penny returned Gordon's comment with a frown.

"No Gordon, I would like you to return my car to the forest entrance car park. Do you remember where I said the entrance is?"

"I'll know it when I see it, who knew your family had such a sordid history." Before Penelope could make return fire Gordon terminated comms laughing his relief at the brief conversation.

….

Kayo collapsed back on the bed after the comms traffic between Five and her friends in England terminated, her heart rate was slowly returning to a normal rate but the constant beating in her inner ear didn't dull. The fact that even after the police had arrested two outside the garage someone else was immediately following them meant her friend was still very much in danger. She thumped her fist down in frustration, access to comms was no substitute for being able to help directly, although weakened and pain still marred her ability to concentrate for any length of time without succumbing to the need to rest the one thing hurting her more than anything else was her friends close call with an unknown enemy. Up until that point Kayo had felt too ill to be interested in the list that Penelope had left her with, but if she could do very little else she would take her time and get Penelope as much as she could on the back ground and deaths of the others on the original drone project. For the first part the names would give her access to generic information and deaths but there was one person who really knew them and that was where she would start. Before she could make the call to Brains Scott entered the room, she could tell by his face and gait that he had been listening in to the close call in the ring. His shoulders seemed pushed down either side by an invisible force and the smile that came as he rounded the door was forced and as far from the natural one that made his blue eyes sparkle as it could be.

"Hey kiddo, it's over for now Gordon will be with her soon."

Kayo looked at him and beckoned him over to the bed, pushing up against the pillows and leaning her head on his shoulder as soon as he joined her.

"What do you think Scott? I can't help thinking Penelope knew what she was walking in to and risked it anyway. Did she mention anything to you at the hospital? She seemed to play down her boss dontcha think?"

Scott looked at her defensive body language, her pose hunched with her hands across knees. Keeping his silence he tried to work out if there was a slight edge of accusation to her voice. She had cut a frail form since they had returned, with little colour and drained of physical energy and spirit. As he felt a squeeze to his hand he put it down to his over imaginings and everything that had happened in such a short space of time. This was like nothing he'd ever dealt with before, they were trying to find one man with little to go on and the trial for information was leading to something bigger than The Hood's vendetta against his family. As he thought his name he couldn't help but look at Kayo and wonder how on earth she had been born to the same family.

"I think Penelope would do anything to help find Dad. And I think she was forced into a trip without the usual preparation. Without FAB1 she was unprotected, a victim of circumstance. Thank god for Parker."

Kayo nuzzled into his side and relaxed when his arm went around her shoulder "Is she going to let John know when she makes it?"

"I'm sure it won't be long before we hear from her or Gordon, get some rest I know lying around is not you Kayo but believe me you have done enough for today."

Kayo's eyes were drawn to the passing figure of her Grandmother making her way to the end medical bay housing their guest "I will once I have spoken to Brains and there's one thing we can't put off, Virgil is going to have to go and open a dialogue with Catherine, she'll know she's not going to get back there now and we may have a little bargaining power."

Scott's relaxed nature disappeared "I won't bargain with her."

Kayo took his hand "I said Virgil, he won't like it Scott but it has to be him and Scott I said bargaining power, I didn't say we had to stick to our promises but we need to know what she knows before Gordon comes back and you all fly off to god knows where without any intelligence."

As she was saying it he could see the fear in her eyes, it may be from the close call Penelope had faced or the vision of One hitting the Ocean, or Catherine linking her abduction with her uncle which she had admitted haunted her. But in his heart he knew part of it was them leaving Island with no definitive plan or intelligence in place. They had discussed the few facts they had but this was so far removed from a usual mission where they had a semblance of control. Neither of them had opened up about how they felt, they were living life minute to minute with no respite from everything trapped inside. And still although he knew there was nothing the both of them needed more than a night together, talking, crying, laughing and sharing everything that had happened, now they were home they were still both now firmly planted in mission mode and until it was over neither of them could afford to let go. Scott kissed her forehead and swung his legs from the bed.

"I'll speak to Virgil, get some rest I will back in an hour or so."

Kayo closed her eyes started to drift and pulled herself back, switched on her communicator and asked Brains to pay her a visit.

Scott stopped at the doorway "Listen to someone that loves you, get some rest."

Scott found Virgil at his piano his fingers tracing over the keys lost in thought, he walked over and sat beside him budging him up on the stool to announce his presence, Virgil cast his brown eyes briefly in his direction and returned to his ghost playing. Scott looked at the keys, ordered, a sharp contrast between black and white and wondered if Virgil's resistance to them was to do with there being so many grey areas in his life in the past few days. Virgil started to press half heartedly at the keys with no more than a scale but an attempt to block the conversation that was about to happen.

Scott mirrored his scale "Have you been in to see her yet?"

Virgil's eyes briefly met his brother's before he dropped his head and returned to the keys.

Scott placed his hand on top of his. "Someone needs to, if we have something more concrete to go on then maybe Penelope can be persuaded to return here with Gordon until it's safer for her to be in England. Kayo thinks you have the best shot and as much as I'd like to go in there right now and shake it out of her we have to concentrate on what we need and how we are most likely to get it"

The simple statement stopped Virgil's hands needing the comfort of the keys and he turned to face Scott.

"She's awake, Grandma says she's eaten. Sorry Scott I've been putting it off. I'll go but I'm not sure what I'm going to ask her. Have you changed your mind? I thought you wanted to do it."

Scott gave him a rueful smile "I wouldn't keep my cool it will be better coming from you. You have questions, ask them, don't push it just speak to her like you did before, we haven't time for her to batten down the hatches because I've gone in all guns blazing, we need a location and then we pull Penelope out of there before she runs into anything else."

Virgil stood stretched out the hunched position he had been in while sat at the piano and took the walk back towards the medical bay, glancing over his shoulder to see Scott return to the ring and bring Gordon and John's holograms to life. First he called in to see Alan who was sleeping with Grandma in the chair next to him holding his hand. He made a mental note to spend more none medical related time with Alan now Gordon had gone, he would be feeling every bit as cooped up as Kayo but had not yet voiced his frustrations to anyone. He gave Grandma a faint smile and moved along the corridor a quick glance in Kayo's room revealed his obstinate patient fighting fatigue while in deep conversation with Brains, he hoped Scott would return soon to put a stop on it for the evening. On his next visit to his sister she would be getting a lecture on burning out and setting herself back months. He sighed as he acknowledged that he was expertly avoiding the one medical Bay he was meant to be heading towards. He stopped at the porthole window and took a moment to watch her, she looked smaller, a little girl lost sat in the chair staring vacantly ahead. He pressed his eye to the scanner and the door sprang open and Catherine jumped out of her thoughts.

Virgil sat on the bed opposite her waiting for her eyes to lift to his and hoping that she would start the conversation. He waited in silence watching as she shifted in her seat and started to scratch her arms, absentmindedly at first but then with vigour inflicting red welts down the full length of her lower arm.

Virgil coughed to clear his throat wanting to scream ' _where the fuck is my father?_ ' "Do you do that a lot?"

Catherine raised her eyes and shrugged her shoulders, then continued scratching her skin building the action with ferocity.

Virgil adopted his smooth and steady tone while resisting the urge to wring the truth out of her "It's just I never noticed you do it the last time you were here."

Catherine spat at him "I hadn't blown the only chance I've ever had to start over."

Virgil desperately wanted to only ask about his father but the girl seemed more comfortable with talking about herself and he resigned himself for a long night, he resolved to spend a little time listening before he gave in to the desire to blurt out what he wanted from her. The sooner she spoke to him the sooner the GDF would get her the hell away from him and he could concentrate his energies on his family. He hated to admit it to himself but her creeping into his thoughts and his inability to compartmentalise her as an enemy made him sick to the stomach.

He watched as her skin began to bleed "Everyone has chances to start over, they just need to take control for themselves and if I remember correctly you were fully aware you had one right here if you wanted to take it."

Catherine scoffed "Ha! You think? A chance at what? You? Catherine started to shout "Just another man giving me what he thinks I want for the odd favour, been there before and I certainly don't need anyone to think I owe them anything."

Virgil clenched his fists got up and walked to the door. "Well you look to me like you need someone now."

He turned before leaving noticed the tears streaming down her face took a deep breath fighting the desire to let her wallow in her own self pity. He walked up to the chair standing tall in front of her.

His tone dropped to just above a whisper "Have you ever let anyone in?"

Catherine's eyes flashed with anger "Oh I've let people in Ok, for a quick buck, never interested were you how I financed myself through flight school." She watched him as he took a pace back from her "Let's just say a lot work on my back for people that then owned me when I qualified."

Virgil submitted to the need of Catherine to qualify her actions, to justify herself as a good person forced into a situation not of her own making. His natural instinct was to baulk at this sort of justification, he had heard people rationalise selfishness and cowardice and he never gave credence to the ' _didn't have a choice_ ' explanation.

Virgil took a seat back on the bed to lower his eyes to her level "You weren't here long enough Catherine, if you remember we never got past the small talk."

Catherine's green eyes lost some of their defiance as the tears continued to fall.

Virgil watched the tears fall surprised at how little sympathy he was feeling towards the picture of her life she had given him "Just what did you hope to achieve by taking Kayo, surely that is a job in the life you say you were desperate to leave."

Catherine pulled her knees up and hugged them "Just go! Phone whoever you have to and let them take me in."

Virgil sighed got up and walk to the door again irritated by the carosel of useless chat he had been forced into "You can go when we say you can go, I'll be back tomorrow, you can talk about how hard your life has been or you can give me what I need to know. Right now Catherine I couldn't care if you serviced the whole of London to get your licence. All I am interested in is my father and he was on the craft that your shuttle docked with. Sleep on it, for once in your life you have the chance to do something because it's the right thing to do and not because it's what's best for you. Oh and believe me I'm the nice one so if you want to avoid the others then you better have something for me in the morning."

Virgil made his way back down the corridor shaking, he looked in at Kayo who was now been tucked in like a child by Scott who was dismissing Brains and had already dimmed the lights. He gave him a shake of the head through the porthole to acknowledge his failure to obtain anything of substance. Then he went next door to Alan and dismissed Grandma for a night of sleep in her own bed. He kicked off his heavy boots and moved the chair closer to Alan's bed, raised his feet on the end lent back closing his eyes trying to think of anything but the selfish woman in the medical bay at the end of the corridor.

…..

John had been waiting for Gordon's contact to confirm that Penelope and Parker were with him. Gordon had asked to postpone the trip to Norway for a few hours and John couldn't blame him, not really, Penelope had been shot at and even he would have struggled to leave her under the circumstances. He was temporarily redundant, with time to kill before Gordon was back in the air and the data coming back from the phone records Kayo had asked him to hack. The track he'd placed on Hugh Devlin's computer traffic was now in the hands of Colonel Casey, so for now he had no need to monitor the comms. The Colonel had advised she would confirm when Devlin was in custody, he may have imagined the tone in her voice but as she made brief reference to the downing of G-QRCK he felt an accusation and a brief pause from her hoping he would plug the gap. He had brushed over it a little too quickly, at some point soon they were going to have to admit what they had done and hope for her back-up. Hoping for distraction in the brief lull he returned to his room and scrolled through the number on his mini screen by his bed. He hovered over the number wondering whether he needed to have a reason other than needing a human voice to call her. He swiped it away again and settled in his bed grabbing a book off the side before looking at the screen again displaying the number. This time he activated the call and held his breath, if she didn't pick up in three he'd put it down.

The greeting was brisk and took him by surprise "O'bannon, and it's kinda early so I hope I'm either back on duty or there's one helluv a issue with Global Once that needs my tech support."

John struggled for something to say to Ridley's telephone manner then smiled as he considered that maybe she was not used to calls of a personal nature.

"Ridley its John."

He noted the change in the tone of her reply "Hey John, good to hear from you. How are your brother and sister?"

He settled back on the bed enjoying the voice he missed more than he would admit to anyone including her "Both home now and doing ok, thanks to your help. How's the vacation O'Bannon?"

"Hell but at least you reduced this enforced vacation by a couple of days, I envy you John, no-one to push six months of unnecessary time groundside onto you and you have no need to thank me. Do you want my help with anything? "

"Er …. No … I just." It occurred to him he called without reason and started to wonder if when they said they'd stay in touch she meant when they were neighbours in space.

Ridley laughed "Shame. It's ok Tracy just jesting or maybe I'm living in the vain hope you can get me back up there. But ya know, I'm not due at GDF HQ for training for three months maybe I'll book some of my vacation at the Estrella and you could visit."

John went the colour of Thunderbird Three and was grateful he hadn't opened up a vid link, the flashing lights of EOS making their way towards him gave him vital breathing space to consider an appropriate response to what in all intents and purposes was the suggestion of a date.

"Hang on a sec… EOS wants to interrupt; you got a minute to hold. …..Yes EOS"

"John two of the names I'm monitoring have turned up on flight manifests. Prof Walters Clarke is booked on a flight from Edinburgh to Bergen tomorrow at 5am and Prof Watson is flying out of JFK at 10pm to Oslo tonight."

"Thanks EOS."

"Ridley I've gotta go."

"Great chat there John…. You wanna phone me next time when you've got five minutes."

John sighed "It's just I've gotta make sure the Colonel has eyes on someone we're interested in and they're leaving JFK for Oslo tonight while she is tied up in Darwin"

"Important?"

"Imperative….My father…. we think he's being held in Norway and this Professor may hold a piece of the puzzle. It's important Ridley."

"I live in Boston, I could make that flight?"

"JFK at 10pm but Ridley I don't think you should get involved, someone's already taken a shot a Penelope."

"John its observation, besides you like my help and you wouldn't have given me enough to find the flight details otherwise."

John considered her statement surprised how re-assuring voice was while admonishing himself for how unguarded he was when speaking to her "Don't Ridley, I have ways of ensuring you don't make it on board."

Ridley laughed "I'm sure you do but as I am in the employ of the GDF I'll forget I just heard that, besides he won't have a clue who I am and you've just made the possibility of this vacation being a little more interesting, I'll put a space trash locator on him in Oslo and promise to stay out of it from there, you go pass on your intel while I pack and phone me later…And John thanks for calling I didn't think you would."

….

The Hood jolted as the first pulse hit his system waiting with bated breath for another pulse, he rose from the seat and paced, the signal welcome, way ahead of schedule and his mind worked overdrive about the reason for the increased timeframe. Blinking a simple affirmative he waited for the pulsed response. The response to the question of how long he would have to wait, anticipation built for the answering code.

He smiled at the CCTV camera in the corner of the room, turned and muttered under his breath "In less than Twenty-Four hours the fun will begin."


	33. Chapter 33

Ch33

As the pulsed communication ended The Mechanic sat back in his chair, confidently rocking it on two feet. First contact had succeeded without the eyes of Abbot or any of the temporary necessities in the enterprise being around to take an interest in the changes to the agreed plan. A year of his life been donated to The Hood, a decision made easy with promises of a partnership and access to technology that he could only dream of, this was his alliance of preference. Still, while The Hood had been incarcerated he had played both sides with perfection and although he had needed them as designated backup if The Hoods escape plan encountered unforeseen complications the closer he came to leaving his temporary accommodation the more he liked the idea of making it a two man operation. If The Hood had been concerned about the operation being brought forward then he had not made any concerns known in the brief contact. He could almost sense the building anticipation of his mentor as the pulsed messages responded with question after question about the drones. No doubt frustrated at weeks without information he was chomping at the bit for control again and it was now his job to make sure he had it.

His thoughts turned to the anticipated arrivals, as expected those he knew were hungriest for a payout had quickly made their arrangements to travel to Norway. He brought the chair to rest on its four legs and grinned behind his mask, he would have two planes in the same airspace when he went to collect his accomplice. A demonstration of the capabilities of his arsenal may go some way to soften the blow when he discovered the death of his niece. He considered the two men who had not made plans for the journey, both powerful men who had yet to fully commit to the plan by leaving their old lives behind. He knew men like this, hedging their bets, hiding in the background until the scales tipped in a particular direction, and for one of them it was time to make clear his commitment. He flicked on his secure link to the man in Darwin who had so far made little contribution; his next act would cut his ties with the GDF and unwittingly finish his usefulness.

He entered the encrypted message " _Retrieval imminent, path to be cleared as agreed_."

He waited for the response, tapping his fingers irritably on the console in front of him.

The screen in front of him illuminated with the response within minutes and he eagerly decoded the reply 'V _irus sent to all Western European secure units. Expect full security systems failure in twelve hours. Darwin shutting down operations. Extraction compromised, will fly by the seat of my pants"_

The GDF had so far been slow on the uptake to link a particular Colonel in Darwin to the delay in dispatching backup to North Island however the last part of the message left him with little option but to terminate by proxy the weakest link in the operation. Satisfied that matter would be dealt with by his agent within hours his mind turned to the preparation of his vessel and the man in the cells. On his way back to survey the drones and supervise their loading onto his craft he could not resist taking a view of the prisoner. He was sprawled across the bed with his legs on the floor; even though the view of his face was masked by his long hair one look confirmed the danger. The man out-side the cell was asleep, oblivious to the prisoner in his charge vomiting and to the risk of him choking on it if he wasn't moved quickly. Cuffing the semi prone agent across the back of the head on his way past he spat his displeasure "Get in there you fool, a dead prisoner is no good to us and I think your mistakes will come back to haunt you when The Hood is back in residence."

The guard rose from his seated position quickly, mechanically following his boss bewildered at his rude awakening "What's wrong with him?"

The Mechanic took matters into his own hands on entering the cell, roughly bringing his prisoner into seated position and leaning him forward "You tell me! He was in your charge, what did you give him?"

As they guard rushed to his side to assist he spilled his apologies "We increased the dose, he was barely kept under for a few hours at a time and in his waking hours he was either feisty or wailing like a madman. We upped it, you wanted him sedated."

While ensuring the airway of his charge was clear he shot back at the now quivering man in front of him "Sedated yes, a vegetable or dead no. What value will he possess dead? Get the medic now! We have no option but to move him to the medical wing and no further sedation for this man without my orders."

The Mechanic watched the man leave; he would deal with his incompetence later, for now his main concern was to get the prisoner well enough to take with him on a journey to England he had to make in twelve hours.

….

Scott's silent rage had been building since the shake of Virgil's head framed by the porthole window. The dejection on his brother's face could only mean one thing and as he lay with his right arm trapped beneath Kayo in the midst of a fitful sleep anger built with no immediate outlet for release. He had so far been an expert at biding his time, the hunt for Kayo, the endless waiting in the hospital and now waiting was all they could do with nothing to indicate where his father had been taken. Now he was waiting for the woman in his arms to relax her furrowed brow and turn onto her side to indicate she had reached a deep sleep, a pattern he had observed in Perth. He justified his intention to leave, there was no place on the Island he would rather be than at her side but his anger begged for release and he needed to direct it where it was deserved. With little else to do but study Kayo while restless in his arms his eyes mapped every scar inflicted, committing the damage to memory and he wanted retribution for each and every one of them. The tension was now held in his jaw as he clenched his teeth in anticipation of the journey down the medical wing corridor, his train of thought only broken by a slight shift in position of his bed mate and the change in the pattern of her breaths. As she made the turn away from him he released his arm, kissing her cheek before he swung his legs off the side of the bed determined to confront the woman that had caused them all so much pain.

Once free of the constraints of the room he strode purposely down the corridor to the end bay taking a brief moment to watch their prisoner. The object of his anger had tucked herself into a small chair and was rocking backwards and forwards inflicting scratches down her arms. Just looking at her and his blood was boiling, the red mist was threatening and he knew there was no way John would give him access until his voice reached a level of calm. His hand curled into a fist and before he knew it he made contact with the door, he watched the fear Catherine's eyes and smiled in acknowledgement. Punching the door a second time he relished the small jump he noticed her make.

He flicked the control panel and took several deep breaths determined to hide the beast "John I need access to bay 5"

The reply was stoic "Her meds have been delivered and her vitals are fine, if you have concerns find Virgil."

Scott swallowing down the outburst that would not have been meant for his brother "John I want to question her, Virgil gained nothing."

The voice this time held a sympathetic tone "No can do, you can have access with Virgil or not at all."

Scott thumped the door a third time as John's calm voice served only to wind tighter the coiled spring in his gut "Fucking hell John! What the hell do you think I'm planning?"

The reply was swift and final "I don't think you have a plan and that's what's worrying me. Get some sleep Scott."

Scott fought the urge to beg John, instead he turned on his heels to find Virgil, maybe John was right, Virgil may be needed to stop him killing her but he would enjoy putting the fear of god into her to encourage her to talk. Passing Kayo's room he stopped for a moment to check she was still asleep before descending on Alan's room where he was sure he would find Virgil. Through the glass in the door he noticed Alan was awake but the only sign of Virgil were his boots at the end of his bed. As Alan's eyes caught his he knew couldn't continue his search until he had at least paid a visit to his youngest brother whose eyes were silently pleading for the company.

He pushed the door and with it pushed down the anger, finding enough control to keep it well away from his injured brother, he greeted him with a smile "Hey squirt you still awake?"

Alan raised himself up on his elbow returning the smile of his brother "Kinda hard to get comfy. Getting used to sleeping a couple of hours at a time now but it aint half boring in the middle of the night."

Scott took the chair submitting that he would find Virgil when Alan next found it possible to sleep. "Not had much chance to catch up have we? You know I'll never forget what you did Al, you that saved her. You know that don't you? Kayo would be dead if it wasn't for you."

Alan's eyes welled as he shrugged off the compliment "Right place right time. Any one of you would have done the same." He pushed himself to as seated position opposite the chair Scott was sat in and swung his legs round so he could face him properly "Scott did she tell you what she saw? Was it definitely dad?"

Scott witnessed a tear make its escape and drew his chair closer to his brother taking his hand. There was a time for the whole truth and there was a time for the romanticised version and Scott just wanted to return the smile to his brother's face "Alan it was him, he was fighting fit and he tried to get away. We will find him and we are getting closer by the minute. Once Gordon has that rig in place I bet you we have a location within hours."

Alan winced as he shifted position to take a little weigh off his broken leg.

Scott gave him a concerned look "Al, when did you last have any painkillers?"

Alan smiled "Taking over from Virg now? Charts over there, don't ask me, Virg gave me some but I have no concept of time."

Scott smiled at his acquiescence to the tortuous hours spent in recovery in one way or another. He may now be home but the situation was exactly the same for Alan. He took a look at his chart "Codeine's out but we can top you up with Paracetamol." He made his way over to the cabinet retrieved what he was looking for and passed them to Alan with a glass of water "Come on Al take these and I'll help you into the chair."

Alan swallowed down the pills gratefully "Why?"

Scott ruffled his hair, he wasn't sure who was healing who but a couple of minutes with his brother had already lifted his mood "When was the last time you had a breath of fresh air or saw the night sky."

Alan's head shot up to look his brother in the eye "Really Scott, I can go outside?"

Scott helped him to his feet bearing his weight on the side of his broken leg and swinging him round to the waiting chair "Anytime, you just gotta remind us if we seem a little preoccupied. Al, you have no reason to feel cooped up as long as you have someone with you."

Alan stopped himself as he backed into position his hands resting on the arms of the wheelchair "I can do crutches."

Scott smiled at his determination "You'll take the chair and be grateful for the ride."

Scott wheeled him out of the rear exit and round to the pool, before they had come to a halt Alan gazed heavenwards extending his neck as far back as he could without pressing his back against the chair. Inhaling fresh smell of the familiar surroundings of home he gave an audible sigh.

"Cheers Scott you don't know how much I needed this, bet Kayo feels the same you know, she been out yet? I sorta really need to see her and apologise. Can you believe it Scott I haven't had the chance since I asked you to do it for me and you told me I had to do it myself."

Scott laughed at the runaway train of dialogue leaving his brother, they really needed to make sure someone kept him company at all times to stem the build up "Al too much has happened, Kayo won't need your apology but you're right it's about time you kept each other company. When we have things we need to take care of I'll move you in so you can hold a gaming marathon and get whatever you need to off your chest. For now just drink in the view and educate me"

Scott smiled as Alan humoured him pointing out constellation after constellation, they both waved at the bright speck indicating the position of Thunderbird Five. They spent another half an hour in the cool early hours before Alan's voice started to trail off, his head lolling before springing upright to carry on where he left off. When the next silence lasted a few minutes Scott knew without looking his younger brother had fallen asleep, a few seconds more and he heard the gentle purr catch in the back of his throat to confirm it.

He looked to his side and saw him slouched to one-side his head nodding forwards "Never in a bed is it Allie."

He wheeled him back into his room, lifting him carefully into his bed, planted a kiss on his forehead and contacted Brains to come and keep an eye on him.

He made a quick check on Kayo before he went in search of Virgil to hear whether in his opinion Catherine had something of value to justify keeping her at the Island. The recent venom he had felt towards her now unnerved him, Alan had returned him to someone he recognised and maybe if she had given the no comment routine it was time to pass her over to the experts. Eventually after searching most of the rooms in the house he found him on their fathers bed fully clothed staring vacantly at the ceiling. Scott walked over and placed himself on the bed next to him, taking in the surrounding room and the emptiness it presented without its rightful occupant. Each knew how the other felt, neither finding it easy to express out loud as tears threatened. Virgil cleared his throat as if to speak then changed his mind; instead he picked up the photograph of his father and mother on their wedding day from the bedside table and glanced a finger over the faces of both. Scott looked at him placing his hand on his arm as Virgil returned the photograph to its rightful spot.

"Virg we will get him back, the search area is narrowing, it may be time to bring in the GDF, Colonel Casey is not far off pulling Hugh Devlin in for questioning, so if that cow continues to keep her mouth shut it won't be long before she can join him."

Virgil turned towards Scott "You told her we have her here?" He stopped as he noticed the telltale red grazes on his brothers knuckles "I take it the door got in the way of where you wanted to aim your fist"

Scott sighed and ignored the second question posed "Not yet but you're right Virg we can't keep her here indefinitely. One more chance and then I think we will have to bite the bullet and let the GDF question her. Do you think you're ready to speak to her again, if you want company I'm happy to join you?"

Virgil took a deep breath and clenched his fists "I doubt it will do any good, she's down there feeling sorry for herself. She thinks she's the only one in the world who started out with a tough life, she's much too interested in justifying her actions."

Scott patted him on the shoulder "Sounds like you're doing better than you think." Scott smiled, he had imagined her hard faced refusal "She's opening up Virgil and maybe we do need her until we have something better. I know you don't want to hear this but I need you to spend more time with her." Scott rose from the bed and scanned the room his eyes taking in the essence of his father, a man who would know exactly what to do while he was floundering for the right words to encourage his brother in a task he had no right to expect of him "I hadn't realised you'd got her talking at all, just listen to her and gently probe, all we need is a location and if anyone can get that girl to speak it's you Virg. I am sorry to have to ask you this but you have to give it one last try. Brain's got nothing from the plane."

Virgil let the news about the plane sink in and processed the tone in Scott's voice, he was asking him to stay, giving him a job to do as distraction "When are you leaving?"

Scott gave Virgil a half smile "As soon as Gordon's back I'm taking Shadow to Norway, John will be monitoring for a signal by then and hopefully the Colonel in Darwin or Catherine will talk. If not then we have our contingency with Penny and Ridley pinning trackers on the Professors taking a Scandinavian vacation"

The unexpected name brought a half smile to Virgil's lips "Ridley?"

Scott grinned back relieved the mood was lightening "Apparently John is still in touch and it seems she'll do anything for him." He laughed as Virgil raised an eyebrow "Who knew he'd follow it up, but I'm not so proud now to take all the help we can get." He noted the look of concern on his brothers features replacing the smile that had briefly made an appearance "They will not be involved past the locator; John will make sure they stand down." Scott held out his hand and pulled his brothers giant frame from his reclined position on the bed "We get a location and its all birds Virg, we throw everything at this and you all join me."

Virgil smiled at him "You heading into covert ops Scott and I suppose Kayo has something to say on the matter."

Scott laughed "I'm sure she will when I tell her. Gordon will be back in a few hours, the kit install shouldn't take long and hopefully he'll work his charm and persuade Penny to return with him. Scott pulled Virgil onto his feet and into a vice like hug slapping him across the back "I promise not long now, I can feel it."

Virgil reluctantly released himself from the calming embrace of his brother "Scott who is taking One, we are still massively below working manpower, if we are launching Four, I'm needed in Two"

Scott smiled "All yours Virg but don't get attached to her you're babysitting and not a scratch. You hear me Virgil for every dent my girl gets in your care I'll let Gordon inflict the same on Two on the return flight."

Virgil looked puzzled and then alarmed "Kayo is grounded Scott, you are not to let her pilot anything, she may sound every bit as cantankerous as normal but she is still very ill."

Scott raised his eyebrow at the accusation "What you take me for Virgil. No we pull John from mission control, I think Gordon will manage Two just fine with John's assistance if we need to launch Four."

Virgil walked round the bed straightening the covers "So when are you going to tell Kayo you're leaving?"

Scott watched Virgil's actions and felt compelled to join him, smoothing down the creases with his hand "I never put off anything that will cause pain and I fully expect at least a dead arm." Scott laughed as he caught his brother's grin "She'll be fine, it's a mission that's all and this is Kayo we are talking about. She's already submitted to me flying Shadow so she's expecting it. The only thing Kayo will be upset about is it's her territory and she's sidelined."

Virgil walked round the bed, placed his arm around his brother and led him towards the door "Still rather you than me."

Scott stopped at the doorway giving the room he had barely set foot in a last look "You have the tougher job, compared to a bored Alan, a restless Kayo and questioning that woman, taking Shadow for a joyride will be a piece of cake."

As the door closed both hoped the next time they wanted to enter they would be required to knock.

…

Gordon terminated his contact with John when he caught sight of Parker at the agreed rendezvous; he released the pod waiting for confirmation from Parker he had retrieved his pride and joy before pulling the pod back into the belly of Thunderbird Two. He set her to rest fully cloaked in a field at the side of the forest before running to meet Parker back at the vehicle.

Parker looked at him as he walked around the car trailing his fingers across the pristine paintwork. "I owe Brains a debt and no mistake Master Gordon." The joy in the reunion illuminated his features and Gordon could have sworn as he opened the driver's side door and took his seat that there was the hint of a smile "We are ready to go but I am sure Lady Penelope would like to see you before we leave, the entrance is straight ahead on that path."

Gordon barely muttered his thanks before running down the path indicated, as he came to the rock face he saw the heart shaped entrance he was expecting partially hidden by vegetation. The cave had been a great source of amusement to him when Penelope had relayed its history, an underground network linking several of the local aristocracy to the Hell Fire Club cavern in West Wycombe. He smiled, the nobility and their not so noble pastimes, he had admitted to Penny that it would have been one history lesson he wouldn't have fallen asleep in. He walked into the entrance using his flashlight to get his bearings. He came to a fork and took the downward sweep to his left, left for love Penny had advised. Before long the passageway narrowed and became a crawl space flashing the beam in front of him he saw it open up in front of him and his light met the beam of another. He crawled out into the vast chasm before him and he was greeted by the warm smile of Penelope. Gordon lifted himself off all fours and ran towards her lifting her off her feet twirling her around before kissing her hard on the lips as both struggled to stay on their feet. Gordon wrapped his arms around her, his hands trailing down her back, then squeezing her backside he laughed as he felt her stiffen.

Penelope broke the kiss with mock indignation "Gordon Tracy that is no way to treat a lady."

Gordon laughed "From what you have told me about this place there weren't so many ladies around here, besides _my lady_ from what I hear I could have lost you today and I am going to make sure we never waste a minute." He pulled her again into a kiss, slowly enjoying her submitting as he felt her melt into his arms. The increase in her breathing did nothing to discourage him as he pushed his hands under her shirt enjoying the feel of her silky skin under his rough hands and he enjoyed the shiver that ran through her as he traced her spine.

As Gordon grinned behind the kiss and Penelope released herself from him, pushing him away a little but not breaking contact with warm honey eyes "I think you'd better put that thought on hold."

Gordon laughed "Well I'd love to book us into The Savoy to celebrate our engagement but think Scott would have a coronary if I blew off the mission for an afternoon of luxury, even if you are about to become family." Her piercing blue eyes held his gaze for a moment before she submitted and rested her head on his chest "Penny I nearly lost you."

Penelope moved both her hands to his backside playfully returning the squeeze "We have a job to do; there will be plenty of time to discuss our social media status when the job is done."

Gordon kissed her neck "Hadn't planned on discussing it Penny, just to take you shopping for the diamond, I mean the announcement's been made, you can't back out now." Gordon kissed her lips then took her hand dropping to one knee smiling at the surprise showing on Penelope's face "Penny will you marry me."

Penny laughed and pulled him to his feet "You do know that the press will be told we have broken it off within days otherwise I will never hear the end of it." She was surprised by the instant look of hurt in his eyes and realised Gordon had not been joking, she took a deep breath "I promise I will think about it but Gordon there are certain logistics involved and as much as I would like to hide myself away and raise beautiful blond haired children…. Do you think marriage is really us?"

Gordon's grin returned accompanied by a wink "I'll be happy to give it a go."

Penelope smiled at him "Then I have made a promise to consider your proposal but while we can't get married in an hour I may have been persuaded to spend a little more time with you." She took his hand and led him towards the back of the cave "Even here I know the perfect place for a cup of tea"


	34. Chapter 34

Ch34

Gordon's hand wrapped protectively around Penelope's as she lead him through a large tunnel branching out from the back of the cave. In his recent haste to bring her into his arms he hadn't really taken in his surroundings until frogmarched at speed down the start of a warren of dark, damp passageways. The wet walls sparkled and glinted brief shards of light as Penelope's beam searched for an entrance to the left or right, however the pace she forged held little time for distracting appreciation. She certainly had the determined stride of someone comfortable and unfazed by the ever decreasing space around them and as they both now had to stoop as the downward sweep held them in an 'Alison in Wonderland' effect he wondered if Penelope's recent brush with death had left her more than a little confused. They were getting further away from where they had left Parker, had limited time and still she continued into spaces rarely walked by other human beings.

As the journey continued into a barely lit darkness with the warmth of her hand as his only surety his mind wandered, darting to his onward journey that was giving his brothers vital hope, it was his honest opinion, an opinion that until now had barely been admitted to himself a long shot. With the darkness hiding the truth betrayed in his eyes he mulled over what those left on an Island were waiting for, and the best word he could find to sum it up, a miracle. Locating drones by frequency needed their physical presence; so far John with access to the world's data at his fingertips had found nothing over Norway to confirm their choice which had been made by a few seconds' comms in a stolen plane. They made another turn and he could not tell what direction they were headed in, space had little by little returned around him but he was now as disorientated, like she had blindfolded him and spun him around several times. Now randomly flitting, the thought of Penelope and a blindfold briefly aided a mental picture that had him grinning from ear to and prompted a tightening around the fingers entwined in his. Shifting again his thoughts turned to their recent reunion and how on earth to make Penelope understand he was serious about marriage. Silence may have suffocated the journey, filling his head with inane ramblings but the hand in his was a constant. Grounding him, allowing a breath and the luxury of fear to be interspersed with light-hearted interludes and he now considered how on earth the woman leading him like a child through a labyrinth of passageways was about to magic a cup of tea out of thin air.

Penelope always exuded confidence and he had little evidence to ever doubt she could deliver a promise, every now and then she turned to throw that killer, confident smile which he captured briefly in his beam of light. A smile that without accompanying words could make his knees crumble and heart soar at the same time. He figured they had covered a quarter of a mile under the earth before Penelope spoke to confirm they were nearly at the mug of golden treasure she had promised. Shifting again with little else to focus on he replayed the few seconds of comms traffic where Penelope lost her usual cool with a tone in her voice he never wanted as long as he lived to hear again. It confirmed one thing, time was precious, he was now clinging to a brief respite they had claimed for themselves before they committed again to their looming, if hopefully, brief separation. He smiled his as they made a final turn which revealed a dimly lit small wooden door built into the rock. Their sanctuary, a few moments in semi-civilisation over a warm hand held comfort was all they had and he was going to make the god damned most of it, chasing the daemons in the dark to the back of his mind in the process.

Penelope turned the brass drop handle "It leads into a store room and office at the back of the visitor's centre, much more comfortable surroundings than the cave but no luxury I'm afraid." She planted a kiss on his cheek "We've got a little time but as much as this subterranean detour has been a pleasant distraction, let's not forget what we are both here to achieve."

Gordon looked at her not sure how she could be certain they would achieve anything, but he noted the steel return to her eyes at the veiled mention of their joint goal. As the door closed behind them, Penelope with a flick of her figure bathed them in light and he threw his arms around her impulsively, catching her off guard and he felt a slight push against his frame "I promise to behave myself, I just need to hold you. Penny, the thought of losing you today scared the living shit out of me. I had an hour to think about this on the way over and I just don't know what ….."

Penelope briefly placed her fingers on his lips "Shhhh….now let's not get maudlin and if memory serves me correctly I promised you a cup of tea or would you prefer to stereotype to your American roots and have me try my hand at Coiffee."

Gordon smiled at her poor attempt at an accent, it was possible she'd pass for watered down New Yorker but if she was attempting the mid west to southern drawl he liked to adopt for her amusement she was far off the mark. Knowing her as he did he suspected the one thing she was trying to achieve was not a perfect mimicry but the smile he was rewarding her with right now and he resolved to keep it there."Mug of joe sounds great, now get a move on wench."

Gordon eyed the sparse contents of the room while Penelope headed to the office to make the drinks, with little screaming comfort he settled on the mass of wooden crates at the back and busied himself making a makeshift table and chairs. On her return he bowed slightly and relieved her of the two mismatched mugs placing them on the table.

"Ok so not quite The Savoy and proposal one, what can I say shrugged off with humour. I'm a big boy I can take it and you English broads are notoriously hard to get"

She laughed as he pulled out a crate and indicated for her to sit "Maybe one day you'll divulge the nature of your experience of 'English broads'."

Gordon grinned as he took his seat and lifted his mug blowing into it, the warm steam hitting him in the face initially comforting before the smell of the cheap instant hit. He studied the effortless illuminating smile of the woman sat opposite him who seemed amused by the not so covert disgust betrayed by the wrinkling of his nose "Ok Ok… attempt two sabotaged by my own stupid mouth and this damn coffee which could be better described as dishwater."

Penelope stretched across and took the mug out of his hands, placing it in front of him before claiming the latent warmth left behind in her own "How about I promise to duly consider attempt three if you don't make it here. Gordon I love you. But let's plan our future when we have your father home."

Noting the instant change from relaxed, effortless smile to a stiffened, forced replacement she rose skirting round the crate forming a barrier to the tactile reassurance she knew she needed to deliver. In an instant he had gone from cocky familiarity to lost child. Placing herself lightly on his knee she took his face gently in her hands. "You do believe we will get him home?"

Gordon shrugged "Pen, I can't afford to think about it, and even if he was alive on North Island…..Pen what if he paid the price for our interference" Gordon buried his head in her shoulder to hide the prickle in his eyes that threatened to spill a salty testimony to his uncharacteristic lack of optimism.

Penelope caressed the back of his neck trailing her fingers through blond hair that was at least a week overdue for a cut for once at a loss as to what words she could string together to make the slumped form straighten with hopeful resolve. A few minutes passed in silence in an embrace where Penelope willed some of her strength to ebb through her body and into his. Her voice when she found it may have been a whisper but it had the desired effect as she felt him lift his head "You know that Jeff Tracy will always be worth much more to these people alive than dead Gordon." Using his father's name had been deliberate; let him think of the value of the man and not simply as a parent "I _know_ he is alive. In nearly two years they have had ample opportunity to kill him or announce they have him for gain, and nothing. Gordon they need him."

Gordon kissed her cheek, allowing a grateful half smile to return "Then I guess it's time to put this on hold and get that rig in place."

"That's the spirit now shut up, kiss me and let's get on with the jobs we've both come over to do."

The kiss started leisurely, an exploration of each other, then increased in need as they clung together both aware this was their last few moments in private, both revelling in their default for the physical when emotions threatened to spill. Gordon jolted as he felt the playful pinch to his backside and pulled away grinning. "Time to stop before we can't, good god woman you have no idea what you are doing to me."

"Just an English broad having a little fun."

Gordon snorted, relieved to find himself again in the comforting bubble they had created for themselves where reality rarely bit "Maybe I'll refuse all future access to my tight ass until you marry me."

Penelope kissed his cheek. "You have the memory span of a fish; we'll count that as a poor rehearsal for attempt three. Let's drink up; Parker will be waiting for me. I still have to speak to the old girl and make it to Scotland before the Professor makes the flight to Norway, times up I'm afraid."

"I'll leave the drink and I'm still picking you up after I have the rig in place Penny. No argument, England is too dangerous." He took a breath allowing his voice to regain its usual lightness "Besides at the Island we can plan our engagement vacation while we wait for this thing to throw up our target area."

"You're not giving up are you?"

"You'd be disappointed if I didn't at least try my luck."

"After your reaction today I'd be very disappointed. I'll meet you on the Shetlands once I have something of value."

Penelope you are something of value. Don't take any risks and if you are not there for the pickup I'll get John to override FAB1 and fly you there himself."

He noticed Penelope held her tongue, as she led him out through the office into the most surreal cave experience he had ever encountered. The journey to the upper levels of the Hell Fire Caves which had been claimed by a museum to illustrate a brief history of a local jolly boys network was now in the reserve of tourists and was in stark contrast to his decent into darkness. With well lit passageways, whitewashed walls with little scenes played out by mannequins to aid the imagination of the visitors. They left through the front of the Museum and out into the brightness of the early evening sun barely, taking the notice of the lone employee behind the desk. On sight Parker gave a nod of acknowledgment, before opening the rear doors for the couple before bringing his girl to life to make the short trip to return Gordon to Thunderbird Two.

The green beast unveiled herself at Gordon's command, he ghosted a finger over the hand resting beside him and he left FAB1 without turning to look at her. In her pink fortress he could reassure himself she would be at her safest since setting foot on home soil. Now was not the time for the fumbled claiming of an additional second for fear it could be interpreted by her as his fear it would be their last, he wanted her to see him with a returned optimism. He strode with purpose, giving a wave of his hand as he continued his walk away from the woman that had stolen his heart towards a mission that he still considered was clutching at straws and had been instigated more because they had to be doing something.

Once surrounded by the familiar console he commenced the natural sequence of checks then hit the comms "John this is Thunderbird Two, on route to Norway. I'm leaving the Shetland rig until last; I'll be picking up a couple of house guests. Monitor her and if there's a sniff of trouble let me know."

"Glad to hear you've talked some sense into her."

"Actually big brother she talked some sense into me. I mean it, one sniff of trouble"

"I sense a story behind that little brother."

"One for another time." Forcing down residual stands of negativity, responding to a rare smile from his brother he continued "Now let's get this show on the road and get him home."

F-A-B."

….

Jeff came round to find he was no longer in the cell, he had an IV attached to his hand, his head held the grogginess of synthetic sleep but as his eyes adjusted he could see he had been moved to a small medical facility. He took in one visible guard on the other side of the closed door, who stood with eyes pinned on him through the glass. There was the possibility of a second judging by a shadow cast on the wall. Jeff groaned and shifted on his side taking in the facility in the refreshingly bright light, the kind of light he hadn't remembered seeing for some time. He smiled as the difference hit, natural light was bathing the room from two glass panel in the double doorway and a barred window opposite his bed. In all his time incarcerated a vision had never filled him with so much hope.

For the first time since a memory had returned he felt adrenalin race through his system. His heart pumped with the possibility of action aided by drafts of fresh air he could feel surging spasmodically under the door as an external door opened, which added to the feeling of giddy euphoria overwhelming him. He took deep breath and a second more measured glance around the room; there was one way into the room with at least two guards outside his door. Opposite, a window but impenetrable without cutting equipment, there was another door housing a bathroom that only added artificial light to the room indicating the window in sight was the only contact with the outside world. He had spent months at their hands and he wasn't going to rush an opportunity now with nothing obvious standing out to justify an immediate break for freedom. He resigned himself to play the docile patient, gain his strength while gaining a little intelligence about his new surroundings and routines of the guards, biding his time, the one thing he was in no shortage of. Guards get tired, complacent at the end of a shift, relieve boredom by sneaking off for a crafty dose of nicotine, he was in no doubt his time would come. He didn't know yet when or how but there was one thing he was absolutely certain of, he would not be going back to his cell, he was going to get the hell out of dodge or die trying.

He pulled at the IV in his hand loosening the connection until the machine it was attached to started beeping. The door opened, he could see the light brightest from the left as a nurse entered. Two forms merged into the double doorway propping each side open while leaving him in no doubt about the muscle on display. On reflection a little improvisation may be required if they remained a duo. He allowed the nurse to re-site the IV and rested back on his pillows closing his eyes. In a few hours he had gone from underground cell to a facility a hairsbreadth from the outside world, this was progress and for now he would have to patiently live with that.

….

Thunderbird two headed out over the North Sea, Gordon felt lost cutting a lone figure at the helm, Virgil, his wingman would have helped him get a grip, stop him finding only negative scenarios which continued to plague him. They had an unspoken partnership, if one dipped the other buoyed, if one was angry the other placated and for the first time on a mission without the other side of the coin he felt cast adrift. His thoughts drifted to Penelope, he knew she was the reason his concentration was shot to pieces, he had believed her but out here in his own dark world her words became filled with hollow promises and lacked conviction when replayed. As he pictured her now, all he saw was her facing down the barrel of a gun. Virgil would admonish him for wallowing, point out the obvious, he had never had a problem with Penelope's line of work before but things were different now. Leaving her in England cut deeper than the goodbye he had endured in Perth and the gun was most definitely the deal breaker. He knew she had enough time to recover herself before their reunion in the cave to play it down, but should he really have left her there on her own fool's errand. If anything happened to her he would never forgive himself for heading in the opposite direction knowing she was still placing herself in danger. He had the vain hope of his father pulling him in one direction and a lover he hadn't wanted to leave in the other.

In the silence of the cockpit he started to feel he had made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life, without her stabilising, reassuring presence he couldn't help feeling he had abandoned her. The chance of finding his father seemed unreal by comparison, sure there was hope he was alive but it was a dream that they would find him. He hadn't dared to speak his negativity to anyone at home, his brothers were pinning their hopes on a triangulation that would pick up the frequency the drones communicated on. But the likelihood of them deployed without bait was slim, and if he hadn't been so determined to get Penelope far away from England he was in the frame of mind to provide it. With no Virgil to stop the incessant internal struggle he turned to his space bound brother desperate for a friendly ear. He was in receipt of the co-ordinates but embarrassment be damned he needed a familiar voice and he wasn't too big to admit it.

"Thunderbird Five this Two approaching the coast, Is Aurland confirmed for the first assembly."

"You OK Gordon?"

It was tempting to blurt out an abridged version of his wanderings on his short jaunt across the North Sea but the voice calmed him enough for him to find a Gordon in mission mode and deliver him through the comms to his brother.

"Better when I'm heading in the other direction. Say John, you get the best view from up there, the outline of Scandinavia, it remind you of anything?"

"Not really Gordo but I get the feeling you're about to educate me."

"Think anatomy….. male …" Gordon gave the hologram an accusatory look "Nothing John, really? or you making me spell it out? It must be obvious from up there a limp…"

John coughed awkwardly before Gordon could clarify his vision "Never crossed my mind Gordo but it will keep me awake at night now."

Gordon grinned "You throwin' this lonely pilot a bone Johnny boy."

"You're never alone Gordon, well not if you don't want to be."

He approached the coast line of Norway from the west taking aerial photographs of the coast line from fifty miles south of Bergen to the point north where he would head due east to the designated site.

"Sending some snapshots of local airfields, I know you have those eyes in the sky but you never know." It occurred to him he was buying into this now, hope, it was the best they had.

John picked up immediately on the voluntary positive action "Once you're busy with the installation I'll have Eos go through them, it makes a change to have live time data."

Gordon cut in"Ok done with the snap shots, on my way to Aurland."

"F-A-B Gordon"

"John cheers for the company, it's good to have someone to talk to but honestly but I've got it from here"

The cold hit him hard in the chest as he exited the beast, a few minutes to adjust his cold fingers to the intricacies of the kit and several to hoist the titanium framework giving height to Brains's hardware and he was back in the shelter of Thunderbird Two within fifteen minutes. "one down, one to go." he muttered to himself.

"John all complete at Aurland, FAB1's location?"

"Ely, stationary for 20minutes I'll make contact if she hasn't moved in ten. Scott's determined to take the trip to Norway sooner rather than later, we need you back at the Island as soon as possible. Four is still our best option for approaching anything picked up on the coast."

"Understood. John I'm not leaving without Penelope."

"We wouldn't expect anything else. Tell her you're both needed here and get home as quickly as you can."

"F-A-B."


	35. Chapter 35

Ch35

Penelope relaxed into the rear seats of FAB1 caressing the much missed leather, while enjoying familiarity of the comforting smell and the safety that the pink vehicle represented. For the first time since setting foot on home soil she was happy, cocooned and her thoughts easily wandered dreamily to Gordon's proposal. Instigated by her hasty call to Tattler no doubt, but she had started to wonder if behind the smiles, the joking exterior and the now running joke of the number of proposals he could make, whether he was deadly serious. So far in their relationship a physical closeness had been their thing, admittedly intermittently dotted with humour and declarations of love but they made it work between the sheets and her thoughts previously in parting rarely wondered past their last encounter. Marriage had been her thought of distraction to get out of a tight spot, now backfiring, as she was the one held by its distracting power. Her bridges at home were well on the way to being burned, could she really work solely for IR and make the Island her home? Her thoughts turned on their axis, good grief, the age difference would be enough to make returning to these shores while married to a world renowned Tracy party boy nothing more than an impossibility. At eight years her junior did Gordon really have the life experience to make this decision from any place other than his nicely fitting briefs? And if she called into play the timeline from their initial kiss, this whirlwind had carried her away in less than a month. She admonished herself, she was now in a relationship where someone had to burst the bubble and play grown-up, which was fine with distance between them. But once her eyes were firmly planted in the gaze of Gordon's warm honey twinkle her knees would buckle, resolve crumble and she would be dangerously close to a post coital acceptance. Parker indicating they were entering the long drive to the nursing home pulled her from her embarrassingly real day dream and her cheeks pinked as the eyes in the mirror narrowed with enquiry.

"Thank you Parker. We don't want to scare the old girl by going in mob handed, if you would wait in the car."

"Yes M'lady. 'alf an hour and if you don't contact me, I'm coming in."

"Yes Parker. Thank you."

The smell emanating from the entrance hit her, a full assault to the nostrils that had her begging for air as the door closed behind her. The smell confirmed this was the final destination for the inhabitants she could see through the window of the day room. Each time the interior door opened allowing an overly worked member of staff from their acrid surroundings the pungent aroma of urine mixed with bleach and masking sanitation hit the oak panelled reception area. Penelope braced herself at the reception desk, if it was burning its trail down her airways and now adding its foul taste to her mouth, the inner sanctum ran the risk of her losing her composure completely. Penelope introduced herself as an old friend and waited for the receptionist to return to confirm if a visit would be possible. While waiting for the verdict she tapped her nails in distracting rhythm wondering if the vague 'old friend' description was enough to secure a visit to a dementia patient, a reminisce about the past still held value to those treating the condition and she would save time if she didn't have to try the covert approach as curtains closed on the residents. A curt nod from the head of the gatekeeper confirmed her goal was in sight. She was invited to take a seat in an anti- room, while waiting for her escort Penelope opened her bag and sprayed Chanel around her upper body to mask the smell that had been irritating her since first setting foot in the establishment. Within a few minutes she was escorted to a room on the ground floor where an elderly woman, with grey hair, still tinged with the odd strands of chestnut reminders of youth, piled high in an unkempt bun sat in a chair facing the window.

The nurse made the introduction "Amelia there is an old friend to see you." Then she turned to Penelope "Leave the door open, if she becomes agitated or upset please use the call button and leave."

Penelope nodded her understanding of the instruction given but her eyes were firmly planted on the small woman in front of her whose demeanour had notably stiffened at the words old friend. The room drew an assessment she hadn't expected, there was no nod to the medical, the fragrance of lavender hung in the air and the room could have been any snug in any suburban home. The woman's immediate body language showed that she at least held an understanding of the spoken word, could process simple statements and react to them. She also felt her initial assertion that Amelia Stubbins could assist them, if only in a small way had not been unfounded. Penelope waited for the sound of the nurse's footfall fade in the corridor and walked over to the chair. Before she could take the seat indicated by a wave of the hand a voice barely above a whisper halted her plans for a formal introduction.

"And so my time is up?"

Penelope took the chair at the side of her and took her hand which instantly retracted at the touch "Amelia why would you say such a thing? I have a few questions about your last few years at Cambridge and then I will be on my way."

Amelia made eye contact, her green eyes twinkling, failing to disguise the cogs whirring as she held Penelope's blue and assessed the unexpected visitor.

The whisper retreated and the voice now deployed was confident, strong and making no pretence of keeping up the charade "That confirms it. It's been a while since anyone was interested in my time at Cambridge."

Penelope watched her eyes tear up briefly before they were blinked away in a moment as her gaze returned to the window "Amelia are you hiding here?"

The movement of her shoulders indicated the resigned breath she had taken before her reply "Are you working for them?"

Penelope hadn't expected the visit to take long, to show some images hoping for a look of recognition before the eyes fogged over. She now realised she was talking to a fully coherent patient. "Who are you referring to Amelia and how did you find yourself here?"

The woman chuckled "I knew I'd be found out eventually, hiding in a home where my partner worked seemed a good idea until my time ran out, and it has run out now hasn't it. Have they got to Hackenbacker?"

Penelope hadn't prepared for direct questioning from her subject and the introduction of the name her friend used when away from the Island took her off guard. Before she could formulate a response the now straight backed woman continued.

"It was always going to be me or him next, we are the only ones left who can overwrite the protocol that those madmen intended to re-programme the technology with." She coughed and Penelope proffered a glass of water from the side and waited silently for the continuation "There are always those that will use something good to destroy, but I fear since Archie was reintroduced to our lab technician at his court martial two years ago, that the potential for the technology we had created changed dramatically. Silas always felt he had understood its full capabilities better than the rest of us, that's why we eventually kicked him out of the programme." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat "The deaths of the rest of team started shortly after his release from the army, I hadn't really given it much thought until I heard that Andrew had committed suicide. That man would never take his own life, believe me."

Penelope had let her ramble hoping to piece together the main players and as suspected her boss seemed key to the enterprise but she was still struggling with motivation and what linked them all to the man who had close connections to The Hood.

"Amelia when did they make contact?"

Tears that had previously threatened rolled down her cheeks in freefall, Penelope suspected an unburdening fears long held "After Andrew died, a man called Abbott came to see me to ask who on the team I still had contact with. Jean, my partner interrupted our interview, well that's what it felt like at the time and before I could answer she told him I had dementia." Penelope noticed her strand of thought waiver and smiled in return to encourage her further. "Clever woman, that's why I love her, I took her cue and feigned ignorance and joined her here as a patient. My records have been hacked occasionally she tells me, but Jean has all bases covered."

Penelope eyed her suspiciously, these men were not likely to leave a loose end without some surety there was no danger to their cause "And that was enough to keep you off their radar when others on the team met their end?"

Taken as an accusation, Amelia stiffened and shot a stare at her interrogator "It was enough for him apparently, once Jean had me moved to her place of work I never heard about any of them again, apart from those who had an obituary post in Varsity."

"And those on the team whose obituary you haven't seen in the Cambridge press?"

Amelia took her time to consider the question, her hands now wringing in her lap "All looking for a profit in its use as a weapon can be my only conclusion, although Hackenbacker? … I refuse to believe he would be interested in profit. Harry and John always thought its initial function was short-sighted and when we couldn't get additional funding for its use in the cooperate sector made their feelings known. And Hugh was begging Andrew to consider selling it on to the GDF. Andrew refused, the patent had been applied for by him and he granted design ownership to Cambridge for possible resurrection in the future. We agreed to move onto something we could get off the ground in the present, so shelved it in favour of the nano technology the department is a world leader in today."

"And Silas?"

"We shelved him from the new programme, Andrew and Rammy didn't trust him."

Penelope sat upright at the name she hadn't encountered on either of the lists that had held her interest "Who's Rammy?"

Amelia laughed "Hackenbacker never liked Hiram, refused to answer to it. Rammy however, a playful nick name from his beau at that time became fair game for all."

Penelope laughed at the image of her friend finding pleasure in a nickname bestowed by a lover "What would you say to him if you could speak to him now."

"Destroy everything he ever kept on the project and go into hiding."

"He's safe."

"You know him?"

Penelope took her hand again relieved as she was allowed the contact this time "A dear friend who won't let anybody use any technology he's worked on to harm a hair on anyone's head."

Amelia's rough hands now put light pressure onto Penelope's "And you my dear what is your name and who do you work for. You know so much about me and leave me at a disadvantage."

"My name is not important, and in an official capacity I work for Archibald Drummond-Mason."

She watched as the colour drained from her cheeks and noted her flinch as she stood smoothing her coat to leave. "Don't worry Amelia I keep my enemies closest. Thank you for your time."

"I would say it's my pleasure but I can't. You find away to stop them turning it into something destructive and it will be thanks enough. She took off her wrist watch and opened the back taking out a small data card, that's everything I have on the original project and the diary I kept. It's all I have."

Penelope took the offering, gave her a kiss to both cheeks and left to make her way back to Parker.

As soon as she was back in the vehicle she contacted John "I'm sending you some data John, make sure I have as much intel as I can before I'm in Scotland.

Amelia walked to the main door and watched the car leaving a dust trail along the main drive. Taking a walk round the reception desk into a musty, lightless office at the rear she picked up the phone.

"Abbot." was the snapped response.

"Amelia. Data collected by a blond with a plumb in her mouth. Job done, delivery to confirmed friend of Hackenbaker. Now I expect you to keep your side of the bargain, return Jean and leave me in peace."

Abbott waited for the click to indicate the call had been terminated "as its peace you crave Amelia it shall be delivered, you have long been surplus to requirement." Stretching to his full height from his seat opposite the grinning Drummond-Mason he smiled "losing your blond at the airport has delivered an unexpected bonus wouldn't you say sir"

…..

Virgil paced the ring, he knew where he was meant to be, everything Scott had said about trying again made sense. Him being the only one that she would be likely to talk to a reality he could no longer ignore. Empathy for the girl who may have had a rough start to life had been illusive since their last meeting but before the next he needed to find some. She had made the choices, and was nothing she could say to make her freedom something that would be prepared to grant, but he needed to soften his stance. While the desire to grab her by the shoulders and shake the truth out of her was still at the forefront of his mind he felt unable to take the steps required in her direction. The comms traffic between Gordon and John had been an amusing distraction for awhile and he didn't think he'd ever look at the coastline of Scandinavia in the same way again. The short burst of laughter that left his lips had brought him around remembering who he was doing this for.

He felt the hand on his shoulder, firm and delivered with a squeeze "Penny for them kid"

Virgil turned to face his Grandmother "You ever wondered if good people do bad things."

"I know that I've met plenty of good people that do stupid things, inconsiderate things, selfish actions. Virgil if you are asking me whether that girl down there deserves any sympathy from you, well it's not my call to make. Make up your own mind and son she won't be here forever. It will be easier to forget her when she's not here anymore but we still need something from her."

Virgil smiled his Grandma never would make a decision for them, listen yes but they always had to wrestle with it themselves. "Can't avoid the chance of learning anything forever just because it's something I don't want to face."

"Never avoid something you don't want to do Virgil, the hardest actions are usually the most important, then get some rest son. You look like you've not slept in days. Gordon will be back soon you don't know when you will get the chance again."

He took the walk down the corridor and looked in at the other occupants of the medical wing, Alan's room was empty but he could hear his laughter coming from the room next door. Kayo and Alan were deep in conversation while Brains gave Scott a tooth examination. He knew his sister had taken control of Scott's solo mission and insisted on the locator. Something he had ensured they all had when they returned Alan from Perth, much to the chagrin of John who didn't see the need for a visit to the dentist's chair. Virgil hovered at the door wanting to join them but his Grandmothers words were ringing in his ears 'the _hardest actions are usually the most important_ '. Turning away from his family he made his way down the corridor towards the blond woman who only a week before had captured his heart.

Virgil stopped at the porthole; Catherine was sat in the chair staring vacantly ahead. The nervous scratching had ceased and she held the look of someone that had been institutionalised for a long time. If he had any inclination to feel sorry for her this would be it, she was lost, unloved and alone. He found now he wanted her words, needed them, he wanted to be persuaded that she had no choice and by the very end of his conversation he wanted the location of his father. He placed his eye to the scanner, took a deep breath and entered the room, forcing a smile as her vacant eyes met his.

He noted the anger and fight in her had disappeared, she'd probably spent half the night going over his parting shot. His 'serviced the whole of London' statement had bothered him more than he would ever let her know. He took his eyes away from her and adopted a standing position with the medical bed between them waiting to see if his silence forced her into speaking first. After several minutes he returned to the seated position he's adopted the last time, leaning forward with his arms folded. The eyes he looked into held red vein marks within them, the skin around them puffy; there was no doubt in his mind she had spent a large portion of his time away crying. The scrutiny of his gaze was having an involuntary effect as her nails returned to add additional tracks down her arms.

He cleared his throat forcing her to find his eyes as "Did someone bring you something to eat?"

The voice responded barely above a whisper "Yes. You keepin me here then."

Virgil straightened his body "Have you got something to say that would make this whole thing a lot better for you?"

He watched as Catherine swallowed hard "The man, that man is your father?"

The steadiness in his voice masking the maelstrom inside was a welcome surprise "We believe so. How long have they had him?"

"You seem sure I'm ready to talk."

"For your own sake I would be if I were you. Scott's not known for his patience and I'm finding it hard to keep him from you. You really did a number on all of us."

Catherine carried on her itch scratch cycle before managing to hold eye contact "Virgil you seem to be forgetting that I ran with the cards dealt. If the GDF hadn't have seen fit to dose me in Switzerland I would never have met you all. Kayo became a target earlier than planned because she happened to be accessible."

Virgil took her hand to stop the damage she was inflicting on herself "So how did we become part of your plan"

Catherine considered the question "I saw an opportunity to stop working for someone I hated and freelance my services to someone who while in their pay, was a darn site nicer. He never once touched me. He also promised if I did a little job for him he could buy my freedom"

Virgil let go of her hand shocked to find he had held onto it "You make it sound like you were a modern day slave."

Catherine smiled sarcastically "You've led a sheltered life I see. You think slavery isn't a modern problem?"

Virgil let silence hang in the air for a moment, if he didn't push too hard bit by bit he could coax what they needed from her. Her body language portrayed defeat and her attitude at best guess had settled into the unburdening of everything that had landed her in the position she was in. While her brain was still engaged with the moving of her services from one mercenary to another he pondered whether a shift in topic each time she ran out of words would coax more.

"So the job was Kayo. How'd you know she'd go to the crash site in the Alps."

Virgil noted the laugh accompanying her answering statement was delivered with the edge of hysteria "I didn't. Don't you keep up? The job was the plane. I didn't make the connection to the name my new boss was bandying around until I woke up in the hands of International Rescue. Jesus Virgil, those two words you delivered gave me more hope than I'd felt in years. If I got him the woman he had been tasked with retrieving once The H….."

Now momentum had been gained Virgil had no intention of letting her off the hook when she stalled "Once what?"

Catherine took her eyes away from him, rose out of the chair and sat next to him shoulder to shoulder on the bed "Once the prototype drones had been taken back to Norway for full production."

Virgil edged slightly away from the touch "From North Island?"

Catherine stood again and started pacing "Well that's where he took us when your jet took a ride. All I needed to do was deliver her and I would have had a fresh start. Who cares where, just somewhere with no-one to answer to and some money to start over. When your fucking sister escaped at the airfield it sealed my fate, woke up in a fucking cell pretty much the same deal as here."

Virgil took a breath to make sure his voice held steady "Same prison cell as my dad?"

Catherine stopped her pacing, testing the waters of his new found patience "Shared the cell but mostly we took the conscious train at different times. Not sure how long I was knocked out for but I woke up in his blanket, resting against him, we spoke for a few minutes before someone came in to deliver a dose of something to shut him up."

"Just the one conversation?"

"Does it matter."

Virgil shrugged outwardly, inwardly he wanted to scream that any words uttered by his father even second hand were golden. Catherine I'm going to ask you straight out "Where is he?"

Catherine looked at him silently, wondering whether any assistance now would get her time reduced. Desperation may make her give up information but she couldn't resist the game "Who your father."

Virgil slammed his hand down hard on the arms of the chair in front of him "Yes, Catherine, The man who was probably freezing but gave up his blanket for you anyway. You know the first man in your life if your recollection is correct to actually give enough of a shit about you to put you first, someone he'd never met. That's my father Catherine, remember him because he's never once lowered himself to your standards whatever shit life has thrown at him.

Catherine laughed "Yeah, been a struggle hasn't it. I mean your house just screams pauper."

Virgil brought his face towards her struggling to keep the edge of a snarl from his tone "Every god damn cent he earned himself. He didn't run over the little man to get where he is. He brought up five sons and a foster daughter practically single handed and made sure he fully controlled every company he owned. Catherine you didn't look long and hard enough at the man beside you. If you had I wouldn't still be waiting for a location from you. I want to know where you took off from and I want to know where they are holding him and I want to know now!"

Catherine paled at his words, fostering had pulled her into a life she couldn't escape from and judging by the woman she had taken it had been the making of hers. Without thinking she sank back onto the bed into his chest "Folleses coastline, I don't have coordinates but the airstrip I took off from is near Florvag."

Virgil couldn't tell if he was hugging her back with gratitude, relief or whether her sinking into him made him hold her for longer than was necessary. He knew he should be running to the others passing on the information but just for a moment he held the broken woman and kissed her forehead. Allowing her to cling to him for a few minutes and her tears to stain his shoulder, a brief moment of time where in the simple physicality of an embrace he could show some forgiveness. The outcome would be the same for her, he had absolutely no doubt that he would make the call to Colonel Casey but his mind pondered just when exactly he would be prepared to let go of the closest thing they had to finding their father. He had to admit to himself that if someone didn't take the decision out of his hands then it was one he would like to make with his dad. He pushed her away at arm's length and forced her to look into his eyes.

"Get some rest Catherine, I will be back later."

Catherine noticed the change, the information given had changed him and she almost felt the touching edge of sympathy. She wondered if she should have given the name that had nearly left her tongue before she shifted focus to the drones. Would him knowing The Hood's involvement change the outcome? She doubted it, she had never met him, her only connection was the niece they were to go after and she had never been directly involved in the escape plan. Deciding that a direct link to the criminal currently in the hands of the British government at the GDF's request would only make the sentence she faced worse she walked back to the chair.

"You calling me in now? Should I expect the transfer to GDF HQ?

Virgil looked at her, hardening his expression a little once his arms were clear of her "I would like to know the value of your information first Catherine. When we have him back we have no need to keep you but until we know for certain if you are telling the truth you are going nowhere."

He turned to leave; he hadn't meant to sound so cold after she had given them a chance. If anything now he had something additional to haunt him, his reaction to her admission about her early years. He let the door close behind him, he didn't for one minute want to keep her from justice but part of him wanted to mitigate the circumstance, give her a shot at a life after her sentence. He forced her to the back of his mind, knowing that Scott would immediately take Shadow and fly to the destination imparted was a more pressing concern. He made the decision to bypass him and speak with John first, he needed calm surety not half cocked impulsive action.

He smiled as he passed Kayo's medical bay, Scott was brushing her hair behind her ear and leaning over her kissing the side of her head which was still barren of its lustrous crowning glory, before finding her lips unaware of the momentary voyeur. Virgil was quick to refocus on what was in front of him, respecting their privacy he moved on to Alan's room, snapshots in time captured by him before he changed their world. His brother was resting on one side being entertained by Brains who looked pained at the prospect of spending the day with a controller in his hand. He knew he would save Brains the humiliation, have Alan's heart soaring and give Scott focus in a few minutes but before the world started to spin out of control he wanted to get things clear in his own head and there was only one person who could help him.


	36. Chapter 36

Ch36

Penelope had insisted they take their trip to Scotland in the fastest possible time as she now contemplated the likelihood of making it to the Shetlands, Gordon was no waiting taxi, he was needed elsewhere. There was no getting away from the fact that if the only option for positioning the tracker was for her to wait it out in Edinburgh, she would do it in a heartbeat, but she would miss her ride. Not one to give in so easily, as swift calculations saw the man she loved slipping through her fingers she considered the options available, anything that would hasten her journey to strong arms, the latent smell of chlorine and the copious amounts of Hugo Boss deployed to mask it.

"Parker a slight detour, tyres to terra firma on the outskirts of Dundee."

Parker knew when to enquire and when to follow instructions to the letter, if he had learned anything in his ten years of service it was that look in her eye that put an instruction in the _do not question me_ category.

"As you wish m'lady."

As far as she was concerned she had two shots, the first and more preferable the locator pinging the professors movements back to Five before his 5:00am flight. She knew, or did she hope that he would have booked a hotel near the airport, a contingency for not missing his flight. She was now banking on the fact he would be in no rush to make the journey, a solitary stay in a hotel was no substitute for the comforts of home. Penelope sighed and patted the leather seat while drifting along in the new scenario, whatever her bravado that she was taking the chance to hasten the mission for everyone's sake, she was in fact changing brief to ensure time with her boyfriend. As that thought crossed her mind she smiled, for all the games played and the declarations of love she had never for one second considered him her boyfriend until a few hours ago, the _position vacant_ had been filled. Now it seemed she had talked herself into a long shot just to see him as she had promised but knew in reality was unlikely. But if correct and the professor would still be residence and she could make her longed for rendezvous with Thunderbird Two. If not, the reunion would wait but she had, as Gordon would put it, tried her darndest not to have complete her brief at Edinburgh International in the small hours or worse on the flight itself. Penelope's stomach started to cartwheel nerves at the jeopardy she now perceived before she admonished herself for a teenage reaction and her uncharacteristic neediness.

There was no getting the way from the fact that if he didn't make the promised third proposal that perhaps she would, she already had indirectly. Her dismissing the heartfelt drop to the knee in the cave as a joke had started to plague her on the journey and if necessary … well she would make it up to him. As the car took its natural habitat back onto the road Penelope turned her attention to the data stream hitting her communicator.

 _If you are free to talk we need to discuss the professors connection to the agent that met her end in Dundee. Professor linked directly to her visit. An update from Darwin, and Amelia … just contact me when you can. John_

"Parker pull the car over, I need to regroup my thoughts before we pay a visit to the professor."

Parker took in her stoic expression in the mirror "Shouldn't we talk on the move m'lady, it's nearly six he may 'av booked a table for dinner. Shall I check the reservations?"

"Yes Parker, but please pull over… I need air."

Parker pulled the vehicle into the next lay-by, alarm bells ringing at the edge in his charges tone furnished with an unguarded desperation at the end of the sentence. It could only mean one thing, bad news. He opened the door; Penelope swung her legs around in her usually poised manner, no sense of urgency, slowly and neatly together in well versed manner. Perching on the edge of the seat, her face drained of colour, he noticed her hands were shaking as she took out her compact.

"John first Parker then Kayo" she whispered to herself more than the man hovering to provide assistance if required.

John's hologram shimmered to life and Penelope took a deep breath.

"I checked with her phone company myself John, Gordon was with me, it was the first thing we checked, I requested the records as soon as we took off from Perth."

She stopped to take stock of the school girl whine that had edged into her tone. She altered her posture with a slight turn, straightening her back, crossing her feet at the ankles and made sure when she next spoke it was with some semblance of authority

"She called no-one. She received no communications of any sort on the day she died. So how could she have received a call from the professor?"

John gave her a sympathetic smile "Ever cross your mind someone deleted her records. I have the professors and there is no doubt your friend Molly arrived at the National Engineering Laboratory in Glasgow at 12:30pm, at 13:10pm she received a call from him, two hours later she was in Dundee. An hour later and she was dead."

John saw tears brimming in Penelope's eyes and realised she needed time to compose herself before she could speak, so he continued.

"After phoning Molly he immediately phoned a Matthew Abbott, who when you see the pattern of calls in the last few years between the people you have made of interest to us, puts in quite an appearance. Penelope I think we can hazard a guess as to what she stumbled across. I'm just sorry I took you at your word and only checked her personal computer. I'm sorry Pen, should have dug deeper."

Penelope gave a resigned smile "You did everything I asked of you."

"The professor worked freelance for Glasgow on Nano technology. A tip off would have been all it took to alert him to enquiries about the theft. Penny I am guessing she went with you to Tilsbury?"

"Oh John! If she found something…. Why would she keep it to herself?"

"Maybe to prove her worth to you?" Instantly he could see she didn't buy that for one second "Penny it could be anything, some of the possibilities make her either greedy or stupid. I guess we'll never know, so no point trying to fathom it out. The facts are he was on a project linked directly to some the missing items from the Marina. Eos does not respect diplomatic privacy and I suspect neither did Molly. Once she had played her hand, she left them with no choice. Take a look at the data Penelope, then speak to Kayo, she's piecing together a timeline of contacts made by our hit-list to each other and looking at any recipient that turns up on more than one of their phone data records."

Penelope spat her wrath "And now we are going to let him leave the country."

"No-one would blame you if you wanted him brought in for questioning, but let's not forget those questioning will be working for your government. If the GDF pick him up in Norway you can be certain a cover up would be more difficult. Kayo is pretty certain you'd understand but speak to her, she has insisted it is your call to make."

Penelope smiled "She did?"

"Yes Penny, and we all agreed, the ball is in your court."

John you referred to other news in your data communication, Amelia?"

"Amelia was found dead in an apparent double suicide, side by side with the owner of the home. Penny I think you should know that Abbott's GPS signal puts him at the scene and we cannot be certain she didn't divulge your visit. So whatever you're planning do it quickly and meet with Gordon."

Penelope smiled at the irony, exactly what she was intending to do but for very different reasons that now seemed to be pushed into a veil of insignificance "There's something else John what is it?"

"We won't be getting anything from Darwin in a hurry. Colonel Casey has confirmed Hugh has been found dead and all his personal computer systems have been destroyed. I'm processing all encrypted messages that left Darwin HQ in the last week now, unsanctioned by Casey and highly illegal. Eos is throwing everything at it but it will not be a quick retrieval"

"Then we need the locator…we are ten minutes from his apartment. And John I assure you there is nothing in the world I want or need right now other than to meet up with Gordon but I will not leave until we have that in place. Once he's done in the Shetlands you need him and he does not wait for me, make that very clear to him."

She smiled gratefully as she felt Parkers reassuring hand on her shoulder.

….

Virgil took a seat in the ring, taking a moment while John was deep in conversation with Penelope to steady himself. It had been less than five minutes since a location had left Catherine's lips and the enormity of what it could mean started to sink in. Her few words were compounded by the conversation he had just overheard about hopes in Darwin as their only hope for immediate action. The delay in his ability to speak to John on his own helped him to organise his thoughts, Scott would see it as an opportunity to bring the Colonel to the Island to remove the prisoner but Virgil wasn't sure he trusted the information, without the tactile proof of his father in his arms he couldn't let their one primary witness go. He hoped there maybe something at John's disposal that could quickly confirm the likelihood of Follases as a location, a ship of that size would take some hiding; a cloaked vessel in the open would have shown up as an anomaly on a satellite image by now. He couldn't talk to John until the call to Penelope had been terminated, she would receive an update in due course. This conversation was for John's ears only and then as a united front they would contact Scott and Gordon. He didn't want to risk that anything could happen to his father because their London operative announced her interest in the Fjords to her boss inadvertently, they could not be certain she wasn't under surveillance, Scott in Shadow was their best shot. He couldn't help wringing his hands while he waited for the never ending conversation he had now stopped really listening to, to cease. When the time came he had wanted to be concise, deliver the information clearly as a starting point to the formation of an action but as Penelope's hologram disappeared and before he was aware he had blurted it out without explanation, the dam broke

"Folleses coastline … the airstrip near Florvag."

John looked startled, then reclaimed his usual air of calm "Virg it'd be helpful to start at the beginning, but as they are both in a country I now know the geography of off by heart, I take it the girl has spoken up?"

Virgil started to swallow back his threatened tears, his dad deserved better than this from a rescue party "John we've got him… well I hope. If she's not lying ...John can we scan the area for signs of a cave structure the same size or bigger than North Island?"

"Already done, I know that coastline like the back of my hand, I've had time to kill but just because I can't see it does not mean it is not there. Let's see what we get with the rig once we have the triangulation in place. We now have a significantly reduced target area. It's time to bring in Gordon and we'd better invite Scott to the party. He's going to go Virg, with or without confirmation, and let's be honest neither of us will want to stop him now. We just need to ensure that we make the best of his time; we'll drop underwater remote cameras off the coast and deploy drones over land then wait."

The ring sprang to life with the smiling form of Gordon, the blond jumped in immediately without really taking notice of his brothers, just relaying an automatic update.

"Rig two's proving a bitch, windy as hell and uncooperative but I guess I'll be done in half hour tops. I'll confirm when I've dealt with the third and I will wait it out until I have Penelope and Parker. I suppose commander reckless is getting itchy feet by now and will launch before we get back."

Virgil started to speak but the cracks of emotion stole his voice, John immediately stepped in to take the burden from his brother "Gordon we think we have him, Catherine has given us a coastline to target, the sooner we can look for signs of communications the better. I'm contacting Scott now … brace yourself because he's going to want to know why you're not on your way back to collect some hardware we might need"

Gordon stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth opening and closing, for once with little to say, the news delivered now surrounded by _what if's,_ the main being whether they could trust the information of a girl that had ripped their world apart. He hardened his heart, listening to is head telling him she was having her cruel joke, paying them back for them taking her but something inside clung on the words _we have him_. Ok he qualified, thinking we have him but somehow hearing his brother say it, the best hope they'd had in close to two years, was enough and he was in spitting distance of him.

"I'm here. Five minutes to the coast if I dump this rig idea."

Virgil smiled at his brother renewed vigour and determination, his few words brought them all hope if Gordon's tone now rang with a renewed strength and belief "We need all three Gordon, it's still one hell of a coastline and first it's a covert information gathering exercise. What we need from you is still three rigs and confirmation they are picking up any communications. We will get hits and they will confirm they are working but until that frequency the drones were operating on in North Island is picked up there is nothing to be done just bring Thunderbird Two back here. I promise you little brother we'll all head there to join Scott. At best guess he'll be in the air in less than half an hour, so time to get a wriggle on and get my girl home. John will keep you company after the quick turnaround. I'll take One and join Scott as soon as we have something no matter how small to confirm she is telling the truth. Brains will take charge of Five"

John looked at him "Sounds like you've had this planned?"

Virgil shrugged and noticed Scott hovering in the background, a reserved reaction he hadn't gave him credit for "We had too much time to think and nothing to act on. You and Gordon had something to do, we needed hope and planning what we would do gave us that. Shadow's been prepped with weapons capabilities and two of Brains's counteractive drones are slung under her wing. We'll all have that protection but Shadow is the only one to carry missiles. The rescue craft will not be armed in any other way. None negotiable, dad wouldn't want it and neither should we, they stand for something and that something is his vision"

John smiled as he noted where Virgil's gaze had taken him "I'll be down after I've talked Brains through a few things and made the proper introduction to the idea to Eos. She can handle any data search thrown at her but changes she handles like a small child being asked to try a new food, highly suspicious. And I need to make a call, Ridley will be on her way to the airport in a few hours and I don't want her thinking I've deserted her." His voice trailed off as he registered the looks on brother's faces, he was grateful that now he was fully briefed Scott's tornadic force breached the periphery and marched into the centre of the ring.

"Virgil, you got it," He slapped his brother on the back "We've got a target area, I knew you'd do it" Scott didn't stop "Brief me in the hanger, I'm heading straight out."

John stalled him "Locations sent to Shadow's computer but Scott take five minutes to speak to Grandma, Alan and Kayo, I'll get them to meet in Al's."

Scott stopped to consider the request, as simple one, to do the other family members the courtesy of keeping them up to speed "OK but in the meantime you contact the GDF, I want that bitch gone."

Virgil placed a hand on his shoulder "Soon Scott, but let's just see exactly how useful the information is before we hand her over. Scott she's all we have, Hugh is dead we can no longer be certain we will gain anything from Darwin."

Scott took in the additional information, everything he said made sense but the thought of leaving the two injured behind with only their Grandma to provide the basic needs of their prisoner did not sit well. The plan's easily made with Virgil when they were dreaming of this moment now looked set to leave those as home vulnerable. He noted the questioning eyebrow that Virgil gave him. He waited to spill his concerns to his brother until Gordon and John's holograms had left the ring. Once their brightness disappeared Scott took a seat, his instinct was to suggest something that would not sit well with Virgil, he took a deep breath before admitting his contingency plan.

"When you leave you put her out. I want her on a sedation drip, I will not have her putting them at risk."

Virgil refrained, he hated this side of Scott, this was simply a means to an end with little thought for what was ethical for the human being they had no right to hold without the authority to do so. He admitted he could not deny the logic behind his brother's thoughts. It had been in the back of his mind as soon as he realised Penelope and Parker may take their time getting back to the Island. Still, he did not need to know there was a potential deviation in the plan and even under their own steam they would be here soon enough.

"Scott by the time we've left the Island, Parker and Penelope will be here. We'll get Brains to reconfigure the door lock so it's a two man job. I'll ensure Parker has to be present."

Scott sighed "You're right Virg. Sorry, I just can't take the risks. You coming with me to brief the others? The sooner I'm on my way the better."

Virgil extended his arms and pulled his brother from his seat "I'll join you in Al's, but escort Kayo back to her room. A few minutes won't hurt but not taking them will hurt her."

…..

Penelope had been watching the property of the professor from the comfort of a now less conspicuous FAB1, which had been transformed to her slate grey alter ego at the push of a button. She had ascertained there was someone home but had had to endure just over an hour before their target made his appearance. He on first perusal was an unthreatening man, a man well into his sixties, bald with horned rimmed spectacles and wearing a mismatched blazer rather than suit. He left in a hurry carrying a tatty holdall and a briefcase, loading them into the hatchback he looked furtively over his shoulder before entering the vehicle and starting the engine. Parker kept the standard distance for a tail, several cars behind in the city, with number plate recognition guiding him if he lost sight of the car within the city limits. When accompanied by the heavier traffic on the M90 he ghosted the vehicles lane movements in closer proximity. They had travelled a few miles on minor roads at a respectable distance but moved directly behind once through Dunfermline and on the route to the bridge. He brought his eyes to the mirror and gave the customary cough for attention.

"Shall I ensure we miss the Edinburgh traffic m'lady."

The suggestion was a poor substitute for what she wanted to do to the car in front, a missile rather than a airborne stinger would at this moment be her weapon of choice should she have had the luxury.

Giving nothing away she replied "If the road is quite Parker, and only then do we fulfil our good Samaritan role to be the professors road side assistance."

"Very well m'lady."

Parker flicked the switch releasing his weapon of choice; as soon as he reached a stretch of road clear of oncoming vehicles he fired the shot into the offside tyre. The car swerved in front of them as the professor fought for control. With the targeted tyre shredded the vehicle slowed, making lurching progress towards the side of the road.

"Maybe m'lady, you could offer the poor driver a little 'elp."

Penelope waited for FAB1 to pull up behind their target if she hadn't heard the sarcastic edge to _poor driver,_ Parker may well have heard the sharp edge of her tongue, but as always he was her ally and having him there enabled the mask to fall into place

"I will set his mind at ease Parker." She leaned forward and passed a small tracking device to her driver "Once I have secured your assistance fix it to the briefcase Parker, the holdall may be surplus to requirements but the briefcase will stay with him at all times."

Penelope exited FAB1 and hurriedly made her way to the stricken vehicle, the man inside was still grasping the steering wheel as if his life depended on it, his hands visible shaking and his face deathly white with beads of sweat tracking down his cheeks from his brow.

"Oh you poor thing, are you injured? I'll phone the emergency services."

The professor instantly composed himself at the sound of her voice "No need, just a blow out. I'm shaken but absolutely fine. I have a spare but thank you for your help."

"Nonsense you are shaking. Please allow me to assist you; my chauffeur will have your tyre changed in two shakes of a lamb's tale."

The professor smiled "Well that would be a great help if you are sure." He chuckled, his face regaining a little colour under the scrutiny of her azure blue eyes "Vehicle maintenance is not my area of expertise."

"Then this is your lucky day, I have an expert at my disposal." She opened his door and led him by the arm "Much easier to jack the car without the additional weight. Please do take a seat in mine while you wait, it's a little chilly for the time of year and looking at those clouds, they can only increase our misery."

As Penelope walked towards the car Parker exited FAB1 doffing his cap in the direction of them both.

Penelope allowed the Professor to sit in the rear of the vehicle keeping him enthused in small talk. They were in the middle of discussing the current political argument for yet another Scottish referendum on independence when they were interrupted by the return of the chauffer.

"Left the tyre in the boot sir, it would be h'advisable to pick up a spare as soon as possible."

The professor thanked them both as he rose from the back of FAB1 to take his leave, he turned and took her hand and kissed it.

"Thank you so much for your help. You are lifesavers indeed."

Penelope took his hand in both of hers "We are just relieved you are unharmed, have a safe journey."

The Professor walked back to his vehicle waving an arm in the air as goodbye and pulled out onto the A90 to continue his journey.

"We'll m'lady no need to join the melee in Edinburgh now. The tracker is inside the briefcase, I've checked and there was nothing of interest apart from two phones which John can also use as location markers. I have copied their sim data."

"Well done Parker."

They waited for the Professors vehicle to leave sight before turning FAB1 around.

"If we head off the main road we should be able to take to the skies without alerting any interest."

"FAB m'lady."

There was little she could accomplish in the British Isles now unless she took herself into HQ and that she would savour only when they had Jeff secured. For now and with little else to do she settled back into the plush leather and made the call to her taxi service back to the Island.

Gordon's smile greeted her "Well hello gorgeous, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. You just can't leave me alone."

Penelope laughed, a simple statement and the world stopped still long enough for it to wash over her and deliver just what she had needed.

"We'll see about that when I see you in person. We will be in the Shetlands in under half an hour but do save us from scouting you out from the air; I think you had better be a little more specific about location."

Gordon chuckled "I'm on my way …. Last one to Ronas Hill is buying the engagement drinks." Before Penelope could respond to burst his bubble on yet another unsanctioned attempt he cut the communication.

What he didn't see was a smile radiating from Penelope that just may have made him risk a serious attempt then and there.


	37. Chapter 37

Ch37

John knew of course that Eos's current behaviour was down to a joke he had shared with his brother's at her expense. Her lights flashed red at an overzealous tempo indicating her anger, which was compounded by an unusual frosty silence. He knew it could not be because she had just found out he was leaving her in the hands of Brains. He continued his brief regardless of the visual indicators of her mood, certain that normality was the best course of action. He would wait for the inevitable snippy questions that she would be helpless to suppress, once the silence had been broken he would acknowledge he had crossed a line in their friendship. As he stated more than obvious instructions he almost felt her directing her energy into intensifying her scarlet glow. Banter, that was all it had been, he had delivered at little tension relieving banter for his brothers but the consequence had been a friend feeling betrayed. The searches, monitoring of trackers, mobile phones and scanning of satellite images for anomalies would hardly worry her processors but whilst completing each task set by him she had managed to get a handle on yet another human emotion. What Eos needed now was an apology, to be made to feel invaluable and then he would teach her about a human condition of deflecting unwanted attention from yourself by selling someone else out. Understanding the motivation, the facts behind his statement may just gain him a little sympathy, wrong word on reflection, understanding. He finished his long list of instructions.

"Eos you are FIVE and you know what we need. Brains will be here to aid prioritising data and to remote fly any ships, the human requirement is a precaution. A simple risk assessment suggests the need for a two man crew, but you Eos, you're my veteran in the field. Oh and your new crew member may need babysitting, check his vitals regularly and remind him when necessary to take his space sickness pills, his only brief for the interim is to keep Scott busy until we join him."

"Anything else John. I may get _highly suspicious_ of your motive for flattery."

John noted the red had slightly lost a little of its intensity "I owe you an apology."

"Yes you do John Tracy. I can see the facts in your statement but I also processed the tone in your voice as you delivered it. And you John Tracy are rude."

John stifled his desire to laugh "Rude is Gordon's vision of Norway."

"Then John what would you call it?"

John relaxed, a question, her lights dulling to rose, his girl was back and she deserved better than a farewell tainted by his thoughtlessness. "I'd call it a mistake that won't happen again."

"Then consider it forgotten."

"There are a few ground rules to go over before I go. Brains may not appreciate the bagel toss and please respect his privacy in down time."

"The bagel toss is our thing John. Don't you humans modify your behaviour dependant on company. And I always respect privacy."

"Always Eos? So you have never once opened my door without knocking?"

"Only in emergencies John you know that. Getting you to relieve Alan as soon as possible was an emergency."

John conceded "Maybe a personal emergency." He watched as the lights flickered to her usual neutral white "Eos you're the hub, mission control along with Brains, once we are in the air Virg is your contact. He will be making the decisions, do you understand, One is Field Command no matter how loud Scott shouts."

"Understood. And John I will miss you."

John stopped at the doorway to the gravity ring "You'll be too busy to miss me. Penelope has encrypted data that may present a challenge and that web of IP addresses won't untangle itself. Before we leave I want reports on the hour every hour, even if there is nothing new. I don't want the opportunity to miss the sound of your voice."

"Flattery again John?"

John smiled "Sincerity. I really will miss you."

Before taking the elevator to the Island he returned to his room to take last chance for a little privacy to contact Ridley before she made the journey for her flight. With family around it would not be easy to relax and be himself. Why he should feel the need to hide contact with a person he had inadvertently added to their covert operations he was unsure but privacy seemed essential.

"John… I was hoping you'd call before I was in the air…..just hold on a sec."

Although he couldn't see her, he could feel the smile in her voice. John heard footfall, the creak of the door then the click of a lock. When her voice returned it was accompanied by a slight echo.

"That's better."

"Ridley you talking to me from the .. er ..a restroom." He heard a flight announcement "O'Bannon are you at the airport already?"

He smiled as she laughed "Nothing better to do. Saved me from a box set holding few surprises and if I'm honest John just got itchy feet to get going. Need to take a mortgage out to afford the coffee here but people watching has turned into a new hobby. Airports are very interesting places."

"OK so that explains the overzealous check in. So the reason for the restroom?"

"Too noisy out there, could barely hear you. Don't worry I'm not planning on multitasking."

John joined her in her laugh "Not too late to pull out you know." He thought about it for a moment before adding "If this is you trying to get me to notice you… you know you managed that on Five right?"

Ridley snorted "Well just look who's coming out of his shell. At this rate we may secure a date before Christmas."

John turned the call to video desperate to see her eyes rather than guess whether she was joking "You never know we may just meet up in the Fjords."

Ridley grinned "My journey terminates in Oslo. Unless John you are now giving me permission to head to the coast. Maybe offer up some muscle and a service weapon?"

John realised his mistake "No. O'Bannon, once the tracker is in place you take a city break or return to the States." He coughed nervously "Just pointing out that if you happened to still be in Norway when all this is over…. I could maybe pick you up for an Island vacation and you could meet my dad."

Ridley chortled "Then I may have over-packed on jumpers. John if you are serious then I may just wait out a few more days of my vacation in Oslo. I would love to meet your dad, hero of mine since I was ten, poster on my wall but please don't ever tell him that. And the promise of a little time in zero G may swing it."

John drifted "Been a hero of mine my whole life." Sensing her silence as an invitation to open up, he backtracked "You using me for my connections and my bird O'Bannon?"

"Now John what makes you say that. You know it's your confident repartee that I just can't do without….."

An announcement from the airport tannoy drowned out her last few words.

Ridley rolled her eyes "Darn thing you'd think they'd ping mobiles. Only a few more hours of that to endure! I really didn't think this through."

"I'm flattered you're so eager to help. See you soon I hope, and Ridley, be careful."

"As always, and John if you let me down expect a request to dock in five months, three weeks, two days and approximately six hours. And you had better have a darn good excuse why you bailed."

"Ridley text me from the plane, I can't be accused of bailing if we keep in touch."

John ended the communication grinning from ear to ear. For just a few moments he had existed in a bubble of calm, comfortable distraction. She, without effort to strain any reassurance had helped him paint a picture of a future that consisted of both her and his father. O'Bannon without any effort delivered an endless supply of optimism, an optimism that, at times, did not come naturally to him. Dependant, that was the word that best described it; he was becoming dependant on her.

Ridley stared at the blank screen for a moment before leaving the stall beaming. Her unexpectedly friendly neighbour in the stars had not only made the chance of vacation being a little less boring but off duty periods on Global One looked set to get a lot more interesting.

…..

Scott submitted to the arms of his Grandma, an embrace he would have retreated from quickly to start his journey had he not felt the heave of her back as she tried to stifle a sob. As he tried to push her out of the embrace so he could look into her eyes she clung on tighter. He felt her arm move to his shoulder and knew she was wiping the evidence of an unusual show of emotion off her face before other eyes in the room could witness the weakness.

He held her tighter whispering in her ear "We'll be back for breakfast. Why don't you bake something for dad he'll never forget."

He smiled at the dig in the ribs he received in receipt at the jibe "Breakfast is the stuff of fantasy son, but whatever I make your dad when he does return I'll make you eat double." She chuckled relieved that her moment had been disguised by the eldest. "You better get going then. Be careful and when you find him wait for the others to join you. You are no good to us taken or worse, time to show a little restraint and not go in all gung-ho. I've said it before and I'll say it again the Tracy's work better as a…."

"A team." Came the chorus from Alan, Virgil and Kayo who were know chuckling at Scott's hammed up ' _what me!_ ' expression.

"Can anyone join the fun?"

"John" Alan and Kayo cried in unison.

John grinned "Wow, I'll come down more often with a greeting like that. You didn't think the send off party would happen without me did you?"

John submitted to the slap on the back from his eldest brother, without him uttering a word he could tell he was happy for the distraction. Scott backed out of the room slowly while he made his way into the room to claim a spot at the bottom of Alan's bed. Without lifting his head he knew Scott had reached the door by the other set of eyes following his retreat. Kayo got to her feet unsteadily, making her way to the door gingerly at first before realizing the ground she had to make up did not favour the timid. John placed his hand on Virgil's arm, who had immediately made a move to stop his sister from making it to the door unaided. John gave him a squeeze, silently instructing his submission, best to concentrate his energies on those who wanted to be in the room with them. He watched Kayo hobble out after Scott, at that pace she would be lucky to catch up with him. He caught Virgil's eye as they heard the familiar whistle of their sister from the corridor outside. The silence that followed indicated that Scott did not have a death wish.

Scott turned on cue at the whistle deployed, calling a halt to his planned departure without emotion tainting the mission in his head. He knew he hadn't been fair to any of them slipping away without a word, but sometimes there were no words to offer any comfort. The only thing he could do for the family now was to return with the man they had all grieved the loss of over a close to two year period. The determined stumble of the woman trying to reach him had halted his immediate instinct to carry on with his retreat. This goodbye was without doubt the hardest and in all honesty was the main reason for his under the radar exit. He now had no choice but to retrace his steps and take her in his arms to stop her from hurting herself in her pursuit. Her free arm immediately punched him in the side with a playful, yet strong dig, bringing the hint of a smile to his face.

"Guess I deserved that."

Her green eyes sparkled with relief "At full capacity you would have been sparked"

He chuckled "I don't doubt it. I have never been good at goodbyes Kayo and I'll be back before you've had chance to miss me."

"And I don't doubt that. Still Scott, I deserved a little better than that."

He kissed her briefly "You know me kid not great at this with an audience."

"No audience here. If you don't mind the slower pace, I was thinking of sending you off from the hanger. I mean it's my bird and I would quite like to make sure you make it out without scraping her sides."

Scott played up to the mood lightener offered "So it's Shadow you're worried about. Hell of a walk."

Kayo submitted to the guiding arm around her waist "I think I'll manage. Scars are healing nicely and too be honest the longer I lay off them the harder it will be. It's time for me to suck it up and start moving."

Leaning against each other they walked into the ring in silence, they took the descent in the chairs, hands entwined and both with a whirlwind of cascading thoughts. Scott knew neither of them had wanted to put into words what the current mission may mean for _them_. An elephant in the room descended with them, an ominous if hereto ignored presence ever since Kayo's return to consciousness. A small detail in the grand scheme of things, but a looming threat to something both would struggle to put the brakes if requested to do so by someone long missed. Scott felt Kayo tighten her grip around his hand as the seats came to rest. He kissed her cheek left the chairs and went to hit the button to return her to the ring.

"Time to suit up. We'll be back before you know it."

Kayo took the dismissal with the disdain she felt it deserved "You don't get rid of me that easily Scott Tracy. I'm here till launch. And don't be coy about suiting up; you haven't got anything I haven't seen before."

Scott snorted and submitting to her following him into the kit room.

"Don't tell me, you want me to turn around."

"Well, if you really want to drink in the view then you have every opportunity."

Kayo walked towards him and started to unbutton his shirt. "Mechs or me Tracy? If you had to call it." She trailed a finger down his chest paying attention to each abdominal adornment.

Scott laughed "The mechs are much less distracting."

Kayo kissed him lightly on the lips "Maybe I need you to remember how distracting I can be."

Scott watched a tear escape from the corner of eye. "Hey honey, this will be a piece of cake in your bird they'll never see me coming."

Kayo stroked his cheek "No but they'll know he's gone, don't think this is going to be easy Scott. You can't transport him back in Shadow. You have to wait for the others. I know you Scott Tracy and you are going to take risks and one will be one too far, then we'll be looking for the pair of you."

Scott pulled his boots on and adjusted his sash "Nice try. What's really on your mind?"

Kayo turned away "I can't ….. Scott, just don't. It wouldn't be fair."

Scott caught her arm and pulled her back to face him "Probably nothing I haven't been thinking about while we've been waiting for intelligence. How about I give it my best guess and you just nod?"

Kayo lifted her eyes "I doubt it. I hate myself for thinking it. Scott it's just …"

To her relief the sentence was completed without her verbal admission "It's just, how do we admit to him that we're together?"

Kayo hid her face in his chest "and just how am supposed to feel comfortable even thinking that for a nanosecond. Scott it's not just been a nanosecond and I'm being selfish. I want Jeff home more than anything, but I don't want to lose this, _us_. If we had to give it up, we both would right?"

Scott pushed her shoulders and looked her in the eye "No-more Jeff. K he's been your dad since you were ten. Jeff has not passed your lips since the day he picked you up off the ground when you fell out of that tree. You're allowed K, don't lose the fact he's your dad in all this. It'll be OK honey." He smoothed his hand over her hair and down her back "we're family and he will be no different from the rest of them. There will be initial shock, but he loves us both. Never take your eye off that, he loves us all and we'll all make it work."

Kayo swallowed hard and took a step back. "I don't want the first thing he has to remember about his homecoming to be a lie delivered by us, or for us to be caught in out before we tell him. He deserves more than that."

Scott pulled her back into his arms and kissed her tenderly "Probably not the most romantic setting or even reason but if you want to officially call him dad, we could arrange for your last name to be Tracy."

The response was muffled laughter "Or most romantic delivery. You know we're not going to do that right? I never really saw us going down the official route anyway and it would be for all the wrong reasons."

"We do have the right reason."

"Not just because it makes things easier? Possibly the worst idea you've ever had Tracy. We've not made it to a month yet!" She straightened her back, blinking back the threatened tears which were prickling heat into her eyes, then cleared the uncertainty from her voice with a cough "Time to hit the sky flyboy and bring our dad home."

She watched his retreat to Shadow from the doorway using the frame to prop her up; she had never felt so close to slumping to her knees in her whole life. She swallowed hard as he saluted her before the cockpit glass descended and the turntable sprung in action. The latent strands of their recent conversation were still whirling like a cyclone while she couldn't take her eyes from Shadow as Scott moved via track out onto the mountainside. Then he was gone. Taking the nearest seat she laid her head in her hands and cried. She cried because he had gone, then she sobbed because her recent admission left a chasm of guilt in its wake churning her insides. Then she cried because she felt like shit but didn't have the strength to get up and seek comfort anywhere else. The arms that eventually surrounded her were familiar and safe, she knew immediately which of the family members had scooped her into them. Who it was that just held her tighter, in silence not raising objection to the bodily fluids seeping into his shirt. She sank easily into him, appreciative of the lack of questions allowing her time to compose herself.

When it came his voice was rich, positive and filled with love. "He's got his orders to release the seeker drones into the ocean and along the coastline then lie low until we get there. He'll be ok."

"Then let's hope we get nothing until you are well on your way. Lying low and waiting it out is not his style"

"Impulsive behaviour on a half chance… Now who does that remind me of?" His accompanying laugh was unguarded and his response filled with an irony that only two of her brothers got away with.

Kayo shrugged "Not me. Not now anyway. Certainly be nice to have the chance to help."

"Then you got it. You're on med wing duty for a few hours, as the more walking of the wounded I officially discharge you but hope you'll keep Al company. And make sure you stick to your own schedule of meds and scans, send Brains the data. I've sent John for some shut eye and I'm gonna do the same thing once I've escorted you back upstairs and filled you with chocolate. When Gordon's back you get him to rest."

Kayo stifled the protest as she was lifted into his arms, the smile radiating from his chestnut eyes as warm and comforting as his arms around her "You said chocolate right?"

…..

Jeff had resigned himself to the guards at the door and little in his immediate surrounding that could aid his escape. What he did have now, something that had eluded him throughout the majority of his incarceration, was his wits and a true sense of who he was. The small fact of a couple of goons at the door would not hold a Tracy back. He took regular slow shuffles to the bathroom, the first had confirmed the window could be discounted as a means to escape; the bars on the other side would need a lazercutter to penetrate them. The room itself was small, furnished with only the bare essentials, a bed and monitor, all medical equipment required was brought in at best guess hourly intervals by a nurse taking routine observations. A second trip confirmed there was no internal comms, but he had noted the CCTV in operation. Every subsequent trip the bathroom was a painful wait as he tried not to earn himself further sedation by taking the trip too often. Once he assessed that time had passed enough to justify a further trip he returned via the door, taking quick a look out of the portal window at his company. Surprisingly it did not threaten the sentries enough to enter the room to give him a kicking for his trouble. Frustrating though the inactivity was he conceded there was absolutely no epiphany for immediate action and returned to his bed. The surge of air pushing under the door brought him round from his defeat. The two guards were still hovering just outside, his observations weren't due. The face that appeared at the door was the creature he had seen a handful of times in his previous cell. The door banged open with little reverence for the setting and he was pulled firmly to his feet.

"Time we took a little trip; I have a friend who wishes to make your acquaintance." Spat his visitor.

"Doubt you have any friends." Jeff sparred back instinctively.

The barbed response was immediate "And I doubt you'll have any family soon."

Jeff faltered "Just exactly what has my family got to do with this."

"Everything from the first moment I realised who you were and brought you to his attention. You being in my possession is my only ace in the pack now that his niece is dead. The Hood has big plans for you"

Jeff was momentarily paralysed, words of retort stuck in his throat as anger raged through his system. This was not the truth, he was being tested but a wounded wild animal was building inside he wanted to beat the admission of the lie out of him. She was not The Hoods niece, not for a long time, she was his daughter and he refused to believe she was dead.

The brute pushed him through the door "You'll be please to know you're along for the ride when The Hood makes his break for freedom. Apt considering your help was invaluable in the cloaking technology required to make all this possible. Just think, the great Jeff Tracy complicit in freeing his own enemy and one of the world's most wanted."

Jeff instinct for verbal retaliation kicked in "And I will be complicit in taking you down and The Hood with you."

The blow when it came he had expected, the ferocity knocked him to the corridor floor before he was forcibly manhandled to his feet and dragged into a waiting vehicle. He stared out at the window surprised to see evidence of civilisation close by, he had been sniffing distance from help. He slumped in his seat nursing his busted jaw and even more busted pride at the opportunity he had missed. His recently re-claimed world crumbled around him, much as he had tried to deny it he mourned for Kayo. Then a dark fear took hold and twisted its sharp edge into his gut, he was about to be handed over to someone who would use him to hurt the rest of his family.


	38. Chapter 38

Ch 38

Penelope's found herself waiting for Gordon; his last communication confirmed he would be with her within the half-hour. A minor inconvenience which left her physically inactive but her brain refused to shutdown, this was quite possibly her last view of home soil while Drummond-Mason held any power. She could only imagine the lies being bandied about in the higher echelons in her former place of employment. The wait had seen the twilight of summer turn into the start of a clear star adorned night to the east of Scottish Isle. The headlamps of FAB1 now provided a little light for her to take in the wilderness surrounding her. Her first view had taken her breath away, wild and untouched, the hill a dominating dome, decorated with faded browns and greens, dotted with outcrops of granite grey. As the last light faded all colour merged and gradually darkened to jet black. Penelope felt more comfortable out of the weather, taking her view from behind glass rather than out in the wind whipped drizzle, driven in hard from the ocean to the west. Whereas Parker had immediately taken to the fresh air, embracing its openness, while pacing around the car oblivious to the weather closing in. His eyes occasionally glanced towards the skies, searching for a view of their ride, which she knew they would hear before they set eyes on it. She wondered about his thoughts on their brief return to home. Rather than enquire, she left him to collect himself, their return had not lasted a day and there was so much for them both to process, this was his home soil too.

Distracting herself from the finality she perceived, her mind swiped though the details of the case, keeping or dismissing the little data she had to hand as priority or incidental. She was sure by now that John would have more on Devlin's demise but with a reunion in a couple of hours the urgency wasn't there to claim it. She, for the moment did not want to speak with any of them, she revised her thought, there was one, and he was on his way but it was not his words she needed. Now she had stopped, now there was nothing that immediately warranted her attention she could not get past returning home as a marked woman. She had expected a tail she could turn to her advantage, a gun pointed at her head meant there was something she was missing. Taking stock of the events that had unfolded in less than twenty four hours the technology was a precursor but to what?

With nothing else to occupy her, she had made a call to the Prime Minister. Whatever she would be risking, she had not been prepared to leave a wolf in sheep's clothing behind as his close advisor. Initial pleasantries were familiar and delivered with ease, a friendly exchange, the risk negated by the easy flow; she broached her concerns about the new head of department. In the brief contact she found she had had to embarrassingly agree that all she did possess were suspicions, with no hard evidence to back them up. She kept her agents demise out of it, raising only the missing technology, the lack of intelligence passing back and forth through the usual channels and her unexpected welcoming committee at City Airport.

The fact that the PM was unaware she was a person of interest proved in her eyes Mason had a private off-radar recourse for his own ends. The relief was palpable, she was not sought by the British Government as a rogue agent. She was surprised at how much that piece of news warmed her heart in the barren terrain. She had respectfully advised him to request the GDF report from the action at North Island, using a certain amount of personal sway to suggest his enquiries were kept close to his chest. Advising, with all due respect that all contact should be made personally by him and directed to Colonel Casey or their close personal friend in the European arm of the defence force. He had listened to her insistence that Cobra could not be called without alerting Mason and to her relief he concurred with her reasoning. The conversation closed with the Prime Minister confirming he would contact their mutual friend. Maitland was an ex British Army officer, now working in an advisory capacity for the Western European arm of the GDF, she hoped she had supplied him with an ally while she baulked. Potentially another risk without contacting him herself but she had to trust old friends and the old goat had refused to pick up. For the moment all she could do was to ensure Archie was on their radar while she reluctantly flitted to semi-retirement on a tropical isle.

On the termination of the conversation she returned to watching Parker on his endless circumnavigation of their vehicle. Both of them were city slickers at heart, the manor surrounded by rolling hills a backdrop for entertaining and their only nod to the great outdoors. Parker now seemed to embrace the wild weather beaten terrain, taking lungful after lungful of fresh air on his occasional halts to in his walk. Barely a blink of a light confirmed the existence of human habitation in the vicinity and she wondered if in all the years she had known him, whether Parker was indeed more comfortable in a solitary existence. She had adopted him permanently as her protector by default at the passing of her father, if her father were alive now would she still count him amongst her small network of close friends?

The dulled sound of Thunderbird Two's engines broke the eerie silence, bringing her out of her musings; her gaze lifted to the heavens and was mirrored by Parker. The noise built, bringing her out of her predisposition to see her herself as bailing on the country she worked for to the family she freelanced for. It wasn't a Thunderbird taxi service she held her breath for in this moment, it was Gordon. There was safety in that low grumble which grew with intensity at every passing second. As it turned into an almighty roar she could focus on the selfish, putting to bed her concerns, to imagine the man at the controls. Somehow Gordon without presenting himself consumed her, any internalising of her failures ceased in an instant. Penelope exited FAB1, her hair flying behind her as the wind gave it life, the green beast tilted her wings in greeting before redirecting the VTOL engines and touching down next to them.

The legs extended dropping the pod and Gordon to the earth, the runway dropped and the smiled greeting the only thing that existed in that moment.

"Well hullo there beautiful, fancy meeting you here."

Penny ran into his arms "That Scandinavian air has gone to your head." She punched him lightly on the shoulder, "and you took your time!"

Gordon stoked her hair replying in a whisper, aware of their babysitter a few feet away "Just took a last look at the coastline on the return route, just you know … the off chance. He straightened to look at her "besides absence makes the heart grow fonder. And fresh air is better for the lungs than _that_ perfume. Penny I know you like to make an effort but have you washed your clothes in that stuff?"

Penelope was fully aware of his defection, his last look at its coastline, an admission that leaving Scandinavia was snapping his heart in two, by default breaking hers in the process. She searched his eyes in the light provided by the headlamps, Gordon was struggling with his retreat. She wanted to kiss it away, draw him up, surround him and tell him she shared his pain. But breeding even now prevailed, her peripheral vision took in the awkward stance of Parker as he stood next to FAB1 trying to look anywhere but directly at them. She pulled away, another time, when they were alone she would return to this moment, for now…

"Chanel Gordon! Your nostrils need an education in taste. Besides needs must and I'll explain the necessity on our way home."

"Home Penny? Well that's progress if ever I heard it." Gordon accompanied the statement with a laugh; a sound that warmed her from within.

Penelope mirrored the laugh and slightly pinked at her frivolous use of a word which had returned _her_ Gordon to her, but grateful for the darkness disguising her flush at her slip-up.

"You Gordon Tracy have a one track mind."

"Two-track Penny. Maybe when we get do get _home,_ I'll show you what's on the other rail." His hand snaked around her waist and he guided her into the pod.

"I think I can guess. When you get home I suggest all you think about is sleep. When did you last sleep Gordon? You look like death warmed up."

Gordon released her to get the equipment he needed for the rig "Charming! I've had a couple of hours in the last twenty-four. And I think you know exactly what would help me to drift-off when we do get home. Let's get this rig in place. Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be than my own room right now. Although Scott's just launched, be just my luck to get home and have to ship straight out."

"Then I'll be sure to keep it warm for you. That is if you don't mind me moving in while you're away."

Gordon smiled "Mi casa es tu casa." Gordon pulled the equipment from the pod "Let's get this over with, see if we can't grab a few minutes when we get back. I'm sure it won't be long before we need to pull Scott out of a hell-hole of his own creation. You don't really expect him to wait for backup if this rig actually works do you? He winked at her "So sleep and anything else that may provide welcome distraction is likely to be an extremely pleasant dream."

"What's his ETA?"

"He'll be off the coast on the first drone drop in under two hours, it'll be two and a half from take-off for us to get home." He sighed, "so best get cracking."

"Want some help?"

"Just load FAB1 in the pod. Your friendly neighbourhood chauffer service is waiting. Just gotta tinker with this piece of kit and we're on our way."

She watched as he climbed the small hill, she noted once free from her side, his shoulders bore more than the weight of the equipment. Then she lost him to the darkness, she had been spending her time longing for his arms around her to take her pain away when in fact he was more in need of hers. Parker brought her from her reverie indicating he had completed his task and they should take their seats in Thunderbird Two. Before turning towards the giant taxi she cast her eyes to the hillside, she would wait for him. When he came into view he travelled with a bounce to his step, maybe the pull of home, maybe the thought of her joining him on the journey. With Parker no longer there to remind her of propriety she ran towards him, crashing into him. She pulled him into her arms and hungrily kissed his lips, a kiss he instantly returned with equal ardour. It was a relief when he broke off first; this kiss had promised a little more than she was able to deliver, a default to the physical, their way of releasing pent up pain, anxiety and frustration.

His arm wrapped around her waist. "Let's go home beautiful."

….

The knock at the door was gentle and delivered with the cursory function; the dark spiked hair of his brother rounded the door before John could utter a word. Automatically John tossed his phone to one side, pulling his knees up to his chest to allow Virgil room to commandeer the end of the bed. Silently Virgil made his way over and took the offered space, holding John in a gaze that momentarily paralysed his subject. John eventually leaned forward watching the muscles in Virgil's jaw twitch, a sure-fire sign he was putting pressure on his back teeth, setting them hard against each other in lieu of talking.

"Spill big man," he patted Virgil's leg to confirm the contact, a trick he had watched the eldest deploy. "What's stopping you from taking your own advice and getting some rest?"

Virgil shrugged, "dunno…. Johnny?"

John smiled "I know I'm in trouble when you throw that name in the ring."

"Disturbing you?" Virgil cast a glance to the discarded phone on the duvet.

John followed the gaze, "Ridley's bored waiting for the red-eye. Just sending riddles to each other." He felt his face pink slightly as Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping sounded good advice bro, but in practice not that easy, is it?"

"Nothing picked up then?"

"Nope, nothing from Eos and if I contact her again before our agreed briefing she's going to keep Brains apparently. Irritated I don't trust her to pass anything on immediately. And she seems to be getting on like a house-on-fire with her new house mate. Part of my punishment for bad behaviour."

Virgil allowed a half-smile to curl on his lips. "Did you educate her on the human requirement for loyalty?"

John studied his brother, he knew him and he was here for more than company "I think she is educating me on an A.I. requirement for loyalty. Maybe I need to educate you on the human condition of avoidance and deflection. What's on your mind?"

"You name it John. Dad. Whether Scott will wait if ….. When we get a signal. And you, not talking about any of it, to anyone. When I said get some shut eye I expected you would want to talk to me first."

The vibration and dulled trill of the phone momentarily caught the attention of John, before he returned his gaze to his brother.

"You're here now let's talk."

Virgil nodded in the direction of the phone, "you not want to get that?"

John turned the sound on his phone off "No. You ready to talk?"

Virgil reclined across the bottom of the bed leaning up on one elbow "You don't talk about him unless it's directly involved in the search."

Virgil waited for John to break the silence, it stretched out, a threatening void never to be filled and he was forced to plug it himself.

"Alan & Scott are so sure now that we'll get him back that they haven't considered any other outcome and talk about it like it's only a matter of time. Gordon's along for the ride, you heard him on the way back from the hospital. And since then he's been on automatic pilot, saying all the right things and up until a couple of hours ago with no real conviction. He swings from positive to negative depending on the latest conversation. You John, I can't call it, silence. Not a word about how you feel."

John sighed, "Virgil I am used to my own thoughts." He watched his brother recoil slightly, the barely noticeable action churned his stomach, Virgil needed something and whatever it was, that statement had not helped. "I watch you all risk your lives on a daily basis, I have learnt over the years not to feel until it is all over. Feelings can dangerous Virgil. I'm a trained astronaut but I'm not a robot. Believe me, I feel, it's there, but as an onlooker with no control I have had to learn self-preservation, and I am sorry if I have not left that on Five."

Virgil's face softened "You ever think this is one helluv a dream we just can't wake up from? I can't help thinking it's not the sort with a happy ending."

"Constantly." John shifted down the bed placing himself next to his brother certain that the admission needed unburdening. "That's one reason why I _haven't_ talked about him."

John lay down next him and they both adjusted position so they were side by side staring up at the ceiling.

"Virgil I'm scared of wishing it too much, frightened to death of losing him all over again. Don't think you're the only one terrified to hope that this is nearly over. We learned to live without him; I don't think any of us can go through that day again. But the flip side Virg, just imagine the flip side, dad bellowing from the other side of the hanger at one of Scott's cock-sure stunts. Or him cuffing Gordon around the ear for an ill-timed joke, his voice filling this house again. Virgil I'm prepared to imagine it if you are. And don't worry about Gordon, he's fine, we'll blind him with our new found positivity."

"Suppose not having anything to do is killing me, I was on such a high when I gave you a location. Now... now I just feel numb inside."

"This waiting game is a killer. Virgil, when we're shipping out and we are on our way to a dot on the map it'll be easier. Remember Kayo, this is no different, you'll feel the shift when we have somewhere to go"

"You ever give up on Kayo?"

"Why? Have you given up on Dad?"

Silence hung in the air between them, John watched tears fill his brothers eyes, it was his void to fill. "Well as you asked first. Yes. Didn't think we stood a hope in hell of getting anything from that relay, but didn't want to stop trying for Scott, for all of you. You know what Virg, I would have gone crazy in my own negativity up there without Al, Brains and Ridley. They never once thought it wouldn't work. I'm telling you now Virgil, do not take this as permission for any doubts. We are going to bring him home I have learnt my lesson, so box it up and put it away."

"You sure you are not just telling me what I need to hear?"

"Virgil, we're starting with more than guesswork this time. We have narrowed down a search area. We have capabilities to render the drones that attacked Scott inactive. In a few hours will be talking the fight to them. We have the element of surprise, and the backing of the GDF when we need them."

"Careful, you're starting to sound like Scott. It's always a walk in the park, never a chance for catastrophic failure. We show our hand and fail in this,… ever thought we're signing dad's death warrant as soon as we turn up."

"No. because we won't fail. Virg, I promise not to retreat as much, we are all feeling it, even those of us usually prone to immediately side with optimism! He ruffled his brother's spiked hair an action that would usually warrant a cuff back but nothing came in response."There are timeS Virgil when it descends on us all, don't beat yourself up."

He watched his brother raise an eyebrow. "Big brother duties, did they come with the gravity?"

John smiled "Well it's not often number two in the pecking order gets a chance for the brother save. Hey, it looks like we'll be lucky to get any sleep while we wait for Gordon. Let's default to next best, put some hot chocolate on and I'll meet you in the ring."

"Phone her."

"Who?"

"John, don't think I was born yesterday, Ridley! You've looked at your phone at least twice during our conversation."

John smiled "Well I don't want her thinking I couldn't guess the answer. Just a quick text and I'll be with you."

"Phone her John. Stop playing games. Riddles! How old are you? You'll lose what you really want in childish games. Just talk to her."

"Only a couple of hours since I did."

"Like her dontcha?" He watched his brother's expression change, face softening, a rare effortless smile adorning his features lighting his green eyes.

"You should have seen her on Five Virg. Calm isn't the word, took mission control like a pro when I bailed. She never once had anything negative to say. And if she thought it, she was an expert in hiding it. A sense of humour dryer than the Mojave too."

Virgil laughed "Hey, wonder who that sounds like." He caught the look in his brothers eye and knew immediately the fact in his last statement he was dwelling on. "You didn't bail John; it was a living nightmare out there. Just glad you had someone with you when Kayo saw dad."

John shrugged it off, he knew the truth, the only time he had failed to compartmentalise his feelings and Scott had suffered for his breakdown. He shifted to comfortable ground. "Ridley volunteered to help, stayed on Five when she didn't have to and she's doing it again now. In fact she's been nothing but pretty god damn amazing since I met her."

"Then tell her that for starters." Virgil encouraged.

"Doesn't seem right. You know… I'm here to find dad not kick start my love life. Virgil I haven't asked and maybe I should have. You ok about Catherine being here?"

"She won't be here long and John if you are asking if I love her, if my judgement is clouded and I want to keep her here as a pet project in redemption, then it's a resounding no. Once we know the value of the information she's turned-in and forgotten. You heard any more from the Colonel yet? Can't help thinking she is well-aware we have a house guest."

"Nothing since she confirmed the situation with Devlin," John responded.

Virgil got up to and stretched out the kinks in his shoulders "Phone Ridley, take great pleasure in telling her the answer and then take it from there. The hot chocolate can wait. Thanks John."

John reached for his phone, "For what?" nursing it he briefly he placed it to one-side. "Put the chocolate on hold for ten minutes and I'll be down. Go check on Al, I'll make three and join you for the wait."

John watched Virgil leave, admitting to him about Kayo had been more of a weight-off than Virgil would ever know. The man leaving his room held the weight of the whole ordeal pressed heavily on his shoulders, just as he had felt in the search for Kayo. And he would make god damn sure the burden of responsibility in this was shared. He switched his phone on and smiled at the number of text messages that had amassed in the last few minutes. The last started with a laughing emoji and ' _give up yet Tracy!'_ He dialled the number.

"Reflection."

"Took you long enough Tracy, and here I was thinking I was starting with the easy ones."

"Virgil had something he needed to talk about. How's the airport shaping up as a tourist attraction?"

"Boring, but on the bright side desk opens in an hour. Don't suppose your little A.I. friend could…er …well pull a few strings for a guaranteed window seat, forgot to pre-book. The red eye has its compensations and it's going to be a clear night."

"Now I have the evidence that you are only using me for my bird and her resources. And were you really expecting to be entertained at the airport?"

"A nod to my boring life when not working. And I may have miscalculated how entertaining people-watching would be after a few hours. I have had so much coffee now I swear I'm having palpitations."

"Just the coffee giving you palpitations? Or is it the thought of our date?" John blushed furiously at his unguarded statement, Virgil had barely left his room but there was something about her voice that washed the knots in his shoulders away.

"I think you know the answer to that Tracy. You know it was a tempting invitation John, but I don't want to gatecrash the family reunion? Rain check?"

"Then you gonna invite me to Boston before your training starts in Florida?"

"We could play at this all night. Put your vid-link on."

John did as instructed and smiled as Ridley beckoned him closer before whispering "I am here now asking you on a date John. And just so there is no mistake I think you recently asked me on one too. So let's just agree that, once this is all over, at some point in the future on a hereto unspecified date and time, you will escort me somewhere more interesting than dinner and then snog my face off."

John nearly spat his laugh all over the screen "And just so there's no mistake O'Bannon there is nothing I would like more. Don't approach the professor for chat, attach the tracker and get the hell out of there. Be careful O'Bannon I have a date riding on it"

"Then I'll leave you with this." Ridley blew him a kiss and terminated the call.

….

Jeff sat, with arms fast into taser bolt-restraints, strapped into a seat in the back of a flight deck of a foreign craft, which on brief sensory introduction housed technology rivalling their own. The creature linked himself to his comms through large snake like cables, communications surged through him and the beast of a man swelled as he swiped holo-data providing system checks and information. The ship he was on was akin to Thunderbird Five and the actions of the man were hypnotising. A large map of northern Europe appeared; he sent a coded instruction, the hangar doors in front opened and a large wave of dragonfly-like drones headed out into the indigo sky like bats on the hunt streaming from a cavern.

The Mechanic turned "A Hackenbacker / Martin production for your enjoyment. And big screen for the full experience." He swiped his hand across the screen projecting the bird's eye view of the drone's path through the skies. He grinned "Your friends in the GDF are about to be a little preoccupied."

Jeff watched mesmerised, swallowing down the urge to question the relevance of his friend's name, instead allowing more comfortable memories of his family to invade his head space. Respite was brief; the visions brought him back to an eight year old girl arriving into the arms of his family. She had been physically frail, emotionally stunted, frightened of her own shadow but with love showered upon her happy in a few years to call him father. Little baby steps taken particularly by John and Gordon allowing her to become part of their family and quell the instinctively defensive nature she learned in her early years.

Jeff turned away from his captor to remember his daughter in a private moment, tears stung his eyes at the thought of her loss, leaving his sons with another emotional scar to add to their already pain laden hearts. His thoughts turned to his boys one by one, faces the day he left imprinted on his memory, his heart sank. The holo-console in front caught his attention as it sprang to life. He swallowed down the pain, there were five sons now counting on him to get his ass home, no plan but determination set in his clenched jaw.

He watched intently as the man hidden behind goggles and mask made silent communications ending with his satisfied growl he received his response.

"High security wing in the German GDF facility compromised, thanks to your show of strength. GDF pulling all Atlantic air fleet into central Europe, domino effect immanent. When Paris follows suit, it's time to ship out and collect our friend, we are about to suggest the move to the PM. Abbott and I will make the journey by water only when we have confirmation that he's in your hands. I have it in good authority the blond with the data card has been picked up by a Thunderbird. The eye in the sky will soon be ours to hold the GDF to ransom."

The responding laugh was deep, threatening and sent chills down Jeff's spine "Your help has been invaluable but do not get ahead of yourself Mason. You will get your hands on _your_ prize only after I have what we agreed. The leverage _you_ want will be yours but the prize is ours. We had a deal, our target is yet to move and he is imperative for the endgame, no prisoner, no access to global intelligence only he has the co-ordinates."

"Early days Silas. When Paris encounters difficulties the PM will have no choice and he will move your target. When you retrieve him you do not hit phase two until I am onboard, without my help your friend would be left to rot."

The ensuing conversation was heated, full of testosterone and accompanied by locked horns as each bayed for the upper hand, and it held Jeff's attention. Thunderbird the word his brain anchored on, one had picked up Penelope, who was holding a card they did not seem disappointed was in her possession. The best guess for 'the eye in the sky' his pride and glory, Thunderbird Five. Launched into the skies to save lives, the linchpin of the whole IR organisation set to become a deadly weapon in the hands of these animals, who he was now certain wanted to use it to access to global communications and hack weapons systems. That was their target! It became clearer in his mind's eye he was the leverage to ensure it was handed over. The only factor that allowed panic not to rise in his system, they had not moved. He had been taken to the ship over an hour ago and so far their final phase had not been activated, whatever happened in the next few hours Jeff had to find a way of downing this ship with The Hood on it. Dead was preferable to the use of their resources being responsible for any deaths,burdening the shoulders of his family, they didn't know he was alive. He just hoped his son's would forgive him if they ever found out.


	39. Chapter 39

Ch 39

Scott had initially posted a flight plan to mirror Kayo's last journey but her preferred route to Europe was a low altitude skim over the Indian Ocean, he found himself with little else to do but question her choice of joyride. It was for one, boring as hell and secondly went against all natural instinct to fly with the crow. He'd been in the air for barely fifteen minutes before re-posting his preferred alternate with Thunderbird Five. He'd rather be pushing G's to their limits at 50,000ft with a decent view than getting his feet wet. Since then the agile craft had been gifting turns and dexterity in the air he could only dream about in Thunderbird One. The freedom allowed memories of a former-self which, with his destination in mind, was nothing more than a godsend right now. More importantly was the desire for a fight that came with them, aided by the rush of blood to his lower limbs while cocooned in the tight cock-pit, as the slightest touches continued to produce manoeuvres that shaved years off his life.. The test pilot prevailed until the roof of the world came into view, halting his trip down memory lane and taking his breath away. He slowed and lowered the girl down a tad to allow a brief touristic interest. Giant grey peaks pierced through drifting cotton candy whipped cloud like mysterious misted gateways to the earth below. The entrancing picture of serenity allowed a peaceful interlude, giving just a moment to enjoy the calm before the highly anticipated storm.

Kayo's hologram had hovered unnoticed, an amused smile plastered on her face. She gave up on the blueish tinge to the cockpit announcing her presence, eventually coughing her request for an invite into his private theme park.

She smirked as she gained his attention. "Enjoying yourself?"

Scott returned the smile "Just getting a feel. You know may have to actually fly her, not just use her as personal transport." He waited a few seconds for a response before adding, "you ok?"

"Fine."

"Just checking up on me?"

"Maybe?"

He smirked "Missed me already?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"What the others up to?"

"Sleeping. Apart from Al. He's next door, going back to check on him in a minute."

"This a social call?"

"I got you a present."

"Not sure now's the time K. Open it when I get back." Scott replied, half wondering whether there was some sort of tease on offer. He smiled as he considered it maybe one for future experimentation but hardly what his head needed right now.

Kayo chocked a laugh as she realised the thought process that had cause the brief puzzlement across his features before clarifying. "Not sure I'll manage to wrap lifesize GDF flier with an assault team and ground forces to accessorize."

"You contacted the Colonel? Kayo, did you get Virg's ok on that? He wanted a safety net."

"Rather give that to you. And so would he, if he was awake then I'd asked him. This call was one for Head of Security. Catherine's plane came from Scandinavia, we have a decent triangulation. Other options too. They all negate the need for her here but we require all the help we can get out there. I decided it was time to brief the Colonel."

"And she's not pissed?"

"Hell yeh. But you're her godson. Dad's her friend. Oh and she'll send a rocket up our arses when she next claps eyes on us."

Scott spat his laugh "Not the best vision I've been gifted."

"Yeah, but I bet it's the best present you've had all year."

Scott smiled "Call it a close second."

"No room for soppy on this mission Tracy. See you both in the hanger." With that she blew him a kiss before disappearing.

…..

John entered the med bay carrying the promised hot chocolates, kicking the door to get the attention Virgil who had propped himself up on one arm while lay across the bottom of Alan's bed. Virgil lifted his eyes and smiled at his struggling brother before ruffling Alan's hair and going to his aid.

"You took your time, take it talking was easier than you imagined. The little one nearly gave up on his warm milk." Virgil scalded in jest, taking one of the mugs from his elder brother and passing to the youngest.

"Hey." Alan protested at the slight.

"It's alright Allie, Virgil's just letting the Field Commander thing go to his head, flexing his big brother muscles with sarcastic aplomb." He passed over a steaming drink to the recent offender glad of the opportunity not to have to divulge any of his recent conversation with Ridley. Just thinking about her last statement had started to flush his cheeks.

Virgil caught the hint of embarrassment and changed the subject. "Ok, Alan I'm sorry." He returned his attention to John "Slight development since our chat. Kayo felt it was time to come clean to the Colonel and get Scott any help she can."

John studied his brother for any recognisable tell in his features. "Well I can't disagree with her logic. I assume we've had to tell her where we got the information from…"

"They are picking Catherine up as soon as The Colonel can arrange a transport. I know I wanted to be sure of the value of the information but if it buys Scott help on the ground before we can get there..." He looked between the two of them, "I agree with her decision to take it out of my hands, we've all considered the risk of him being out there alone when we get a signal. She acted on it." Virgil conceded aware of his brother's green eyes pinning him.

"Just doing her job!" Alan defended.

"No need to be defensive Allie. I said I agreed with her logic." John replied while taking the chair and cradling his drink in his hands, before blowing the warmth onto his face. "Where is she?" John added looking to his black haired brother "Virgil you did tell her that you agreed with her?"

"Yes, and I asked her to get some rest but have a feeling she's next door updating Thunderbird Two."

John smiled "Good, that got me out of a spot, only brought the three hot chocolates. Drink up and don't tell her I forgot to count her in."

"Can't wait to tell her that you can't add up to four." Alan added smirking before shouting his sister's name at the top of his lungs.

…

Scott decided to cut out the crap, hitting his cruising altitude as soon as the Himalayas were behind him. Now the bird was practically flying herself his mind wandered as the distance closed towards his father. Although his heart soared at the thought his father had been confirmed alive at the time of Catherine's departure for Perth. His head was now processing the number of days that had elapsed since the confirmed sighting. _'Come on jackass, get it together man'_ he admonished. Fully aware of the trick of the mind while alone again, family issues of his own creation paled into insignificance compared to him setting his sights on the anchor in his life that he hadn't seen for just shy of two years. He allowed a vision of his father sat at his desk, lifting his greying head to meet him after a mission, it brought the need to swallow hard, blink away the emotion creeping in. Although Scott could almost feel pound by pound the weight leaving his shoulders with each mile that past, his heart was a leaden weight which would only lift with visual confirmation. Hope was one thing but the vision of his father, long put to bed for the sake of sanity, was now firmly planted back in his head, and it brought with it fear, not what he needed right now. The gateway to Europe was now in sight, his heart thumped an impatient beat in his chest, _nearly there Scott, come on get a grip_.

He contemplated the brief, dropping seeker and geological survey drones he could do as instructed as long as there was no signal. One sniff and he was riding straight in there with the GDF following in his wake. Much as he carried the equipment he knew, hell they all knew if they we honest with themselves, that he was not going to wait one second for back up, wherever it was coming from, to arrive. He called up the satellite images onto the data display in front of him and ran a scan for the frequency he was desperate for. So far the full rig had been in place for well over an hour and part of him had expected an immediate resolution. The silence on the display was frustrating, his hands griped the yoke, no nudges, just a tightening grounding him to the craft. His right hand freed itself from the controls, encouraged by a mind now in the full throws retribution. Without removing his eyes from the sky he unclipped the compartment in the bike's faring that held the gun Brains had reluctantly issued. He retrieved it, cold to the touch but comforting resting on his lap. He smiled, he would be all too happy to use it on any unfortunate bastard that had thought it wise to keep Jeff Tracy from his family. Whether the need arose or not he would take the shot, payback for every one of the tears he had witnessed shed by a brother, and for those that left his eyes in private. His mood after an hour of solitude was now as dark as the sky behind him. He turned his attention to the ACAS and the several blips now hoarding around Stuttgart. In lieu of contacting the GDF identified flyers directly he opened communications to Tracy Island.

"John what's the emergency in Europe?"

John's appeared in the cockpit display minus the trademark blue attire. "No calls."

"Seems to be a lot of action over Germany. Get some intel from Brains. I want no surprises and I can't help feeling our promised back-up has been deployed elsewhere."

His brother smiled "Jumping ahead Scott, we've got some groundwork to do yet. I'll get Brains to contact you but you could contact the Colonel to set your mind at ease. Gordon will be back soon so if you want Two turned around on immediate dispatch just say the word. Hey Scooter, get out of your funk and stop finding problems. We'll all be with you soon."

Scott snorted "Funk John? Who the helluv you been speaking to? O'Bannonism I take it?"

John flushed, "could be one of Gordon's or Al's."

"Unlikely, with the colour you've gone. And since when did they educate you?" The colour continued to lift and he figured he'd send him a lifeline, "Guess I just drop the hardwear and wait." Scott sighed, his brother was right he was just getting antsy now he could see the coastline of Norway. "How are the patients?"

John smirked, "well we have one bombarding the ears of Penelope on Two and one sporting a frothy hot chocolate moustache. I'll leave it to you to puzzle out which one's which."

Scott laughed "Kayo with a frothy adornment I can't see. Look after Al and let me know when Gordon is back. I'll contact the Colonel."

"FAB."

Scott punched in the colonels private contact details and waited for the holographic display light her entrance into the cockpit.

"Colonel."

"Scott."

Scott allowed the silence for a moment "How much back up have we secured Colonel?"

Casey's reply came guardedly "Scott we are in the middle of a situation. I have one Flier in the vicinity for you but the majority of the ground troops I had designated for a training exercise in Norway have been redirected to Germany. We have 11 Cat A prisoners on the run. Virus took out the power leaving them blind and with no organised communications; minutes later Mechs took the high security wing of the facility apart. _All_ routine missions and training exercises are on hold while we concentrate on recapturing the escapees. The flier on route to Bergen is all I have… hold Scott."

Scott waited impatiently for the return of the Colonel, his mouth dried as he waited for the news he was sure he could predict. Whatever was happening in Europe was just a little too convenient and the GDF resources were slipping through his fingers. When she returned to the cockpit she was pale, careworn with track lines furrowed deep in her brow. He didn't need her words; he knew exactly how the conversation was going to play out. He flicked the switch to open comms to the Island and Five.

"Scott we have a further breach in Berlin, 6 prisoners on the run from a smaller Military facility, same MO."

Brains entered the brief "Colonel, the c…communication delivering the malware, it's safe to say it's what Devlin tried to protect. I have it running through all GDF high level security facilities at f…fifteen minute intervals. Paris next, Milan …..P…parkmoor.

"Then we are to concentrate all efforts on securing them. This is without doubt an orchestrated attack, I now have no authority to offer any backup. Scott I am sorry but for now you are on your own. As soon as we get this situation under control I promise you that you can have everything I have."

"Not much comfort to your friends Colonel. And I suspect you are being diverted, pull some back to Norway and concentrate on Parkmoor." Scott retorted.

The colonel looked at him apologetically, "hands are tied. Scott, you find him and you take him back with whatever force is necessary. I will ensure that any action does not lead to an inquiry. I'll give you a regular brief on the situation in Europe, but be on your guard. We'll discuss the necessity for an open working relationship at a later date."

Scott considered the statement, "Can you pull in Mason? We need everything we can get our hands on."

"That's one of the reasons I diverted to see Maitland at High Command. Penelope's findings have been interesting but we do have the burden of proof. The Brits are uncooperative at best; it's not that long ago I practically accused them of allowing the technology to leave their own back yard. I expect resistance."

"Keep us briefed Colonel."

"Scott you'll get everything I can give you, which until an hour ago, was more that you gave me. You will have to expect resistance from my superiors, especially now we have a hostile action. I have been walking a fine line since Australia and continue to do so in talking to you now."

Scott softened his expression at the mention of the assistance already donated without sanction. "Colonel just give me what you can. And Colonel I will never forget the help you have already given. Scott out."

His attention turned to their own intelligence failure. While John returned to hovering displaying little emotion, he spewed he wrath to Brains. "How the hell did those mechs not ping? Brains, he unleashed a fucking army of them and we are as blind as we were before the rig."

"Hey, go easy Scott." John instructed.

"Either the rig f…failed or they held silence until well over the mainland. I'll call up all d…data from the relay make sure I've not missed anything."

Scott slammed his fist down hard "Missed anything is not something I need to hear right now. We miss nothing, understand! Not one drone is to leave that airspace without us knowing where it is heading."

"S…scott we are monitoring everything we have." Brains pushed his glasses up his nose and glanced at John. Taking the nod as permission he terminated the comms.

John stared at his brother for a moment before taking a resigned breath. "No need Scott."

"John the whole things turning to rats shit. He deployed them and not a god damned thing." Scott responded with less venom and now resigned to the lecture he fully deserved, that was about to be delivered by his red-haired brother. Now he had time to calm he hoped that there wasn't anyone else on the Island listening to add to his shame. His brother's voice was surprisingly soft when it came.

"Hey Scott, it's ok you know. Absolutely fucking fine to be angry but never direct it at one of us. You get the chance, then you apologise to Brains. It's just a set-back, ok. It was never the only thing we were relying for a location."

…..

Penelope terminated her call to Kayo and turned her attention to the conversation playing over the comms between Colonel Casey and Scott. Things were happening fast, not one but two distractions to keep their attention away from Norway? She had already put her reputation on the line by giving one set of suspicions and now she was considering recommending moving a resident of Parkmoor. Running a facility on newly installed independent generators, hastily protected computer systems, additional guards and surface to air missiles did not constitute a failsafe plan B. No matter how Penelope dressed it up in her head she feared she was going to look like a raving lunatic that had succumbed to post traumatic stress if she made another call to the Prime Minister. Scott was right; pulling in Mason for interrogation was now an obvious course of action. The surreal situation, taking in all communications made on the open line while reviewing surveillance reports from the Colonel, was compounded as she sat in the pilot's seat of Thunderbird Two.

She turned for re-assurance from her day-to-day companion only to see his head lolling in the jump seat behind. She was alone, Gordon had taken a cot at her insistence; she had practically ordered Brains to take over piloting Two to ensure Gordon got some rest. In all her time getting to really know him she had never seen him so devoid of the natural energy that radiated from within. She had kept her silence for fifteen minutes after take-off before taking the stubborn bull by the horns. At times Gordon Tracy needed to be given permission to stop and this had been one of them. Just when she needed to run something past someone, she thought of contacting Kayo again but to gain what, a second opinion? She made her decision to get to the Prime Minister through a friend.

She flicked her communicator "Eos please be a dear and patch in Colonel Maitland on his secure line."

"Colonel Maitland. Lady P." Eos chimed enthusiastically before putting the communication through.

Penelope smiled at the A.I's use of a Tracyism for her name "Thank you Eos."

A familiar face greeted her. Carrying a little more weight in the jowls than she remembered, a greying five o'clock shadow indicating that the colonels once natural mop of dark hair had a little assistance to remain youthful. The smile was the same, a twinkle in his blue eyes portraying the air of mischief she always remembered. There were only a few faces that were a constant in her home life when she was growing up, and she remembered Robert Maitland as one of her father's closest confidants. In fact when her mother had died, it was his presence in her father's life that made it bearable for him. A small child could not help him in through his grief but his ex-army family gave him a lifeline that she had never been able to do.

"Colonel. Thank you for agreeing to speak to me. I am aware you are on high alert."

"Pitstop! Dispense immediately with the formalities. It's lovely to hear your voice. I am aware dear girl that you would only contact me if it was a matter of upmost importance." He sighed, "it's been a while Pitstop. I can almost hear your father berating us for allowing so much time to pass."

The use of his pet name for her, a name that she had not heard in nearly seven years made her feel like a child and very much out of her depth.

"I asked a good friend of us both to contact you for assistance. Firstly Bertie, it would help greatly if you could confirm whether your help has been sought." She hoped the use of the name her father addressed him with would put them on a more equal footing.

Her old friend chuckled "It has. And we took a moment to remember your father Pitstop. Sterling fellow, much missed." Penelope waited patiently for his train of thought to continue, as if woken from a trance he continued with the information she was eagerly awaiting. "He has agreed to surveillance only. Dear girl my team have the authority monitor his communications but without any hardened evidence Mason will not be brought in for questioning. You are no longer a child Penelope, you know what we monitor will be only what he wants us to hear."

Penelope smiled at the mention of her father so fondly given, Maitland and Soames, the British Prime Minister, along with her father, had had a colourful past. Although she had only teetered on its periphery, as a young girl she had been enthralled by tales of their early life in the British Army. As an adult she now surmised she very much had the abridged version. "I agree. A complete waste of time! You will need to fight for more. Colonel, in lieu of the government growing a set, I need you on side to act over their heads if necessary"

"You sound just like your father!" The elder's eyes twinkled "You know I cannot divulge anything said in committee but rest assured the developments will continue to get our full attention and if we need to intervene on domestic decisions we will."

"Are you treating it as an act of terrorism or a diversion? In your personal opinion of course. With all the evidence provided by Brains I feel we must err on this side of diversion. Colonel, do you think a relocation of our most high profile prisoner is in order? I take it you have seen the provisional report from Colonel Casey regarding events in the Southern Hemisphere?" Penelope continued to question. "Their capabilities are frightening."

"Made for quite interesting reading. However whatever the connection of that action is to The Hood, the movement of any prisoner in the current climate is ill advised. It may well be we are inadvertently delivering exactly what they hope for. Mason raised the same concern to the PM ten minutes ago. Do you still feel the same? Rest assured Parkmoor is impenetrable. The guard has been doubled and safeguards in place. I have the PM's ear and we will not react in such a way that makes it easier for them should The Hood be at the centre of the current state of affairs. We are running into the pre-election circus, losing the most high profile prisoner will not be on his manifesto. I assure you Pitstop, you are worrying unnecessarily."

Penelope sank back into her seat with a defeated sigh "Then Colonel all I can ask is that you do your best to ensure that neither of our persons of interest leaves the country."

"You have my word as an officer, a gentleman and one third of the three musketeers."

Penelope watched the holographic image disappear only to be replaced instantly by another.

John's smiling face greeted her warmly. "Time to wake up short-stuff. I find it's always preferable to have a pilot for landing. ETA to a warm Tracy welcome, twenty minutes."

Penelope rose, although she was fully aware that while sat in the pilot seat she had absolutely no control over the Thunderbird, getting up and leaving it unmanned seemed a little unnerving to say the least. She smiled as she noticed Parker's head still lolling in the jump seat behind. He had point blank refused to take a cot but it seemed the principle of catching some much needed rest had be adhered to.

As she made her way past Parker into the main body of Two, she took a moment to watch the blond as he slept. His left leg dangled off the side of the cot, gentle breaths rose and fell in his chest. His face at rest was untroubled by a care in the world. Penelope was loathed to wake him from whatever dream had caused the half smile on his lips, a dream she hoped foretold a future with her and his father in amongst any subliminal curve ball the brain chose to throw. She woke him with a gentle kiss to the forehead, then to the lips, not expecting that his waking would be almost instantaneous and the arm that snaked around her, pulling her on top of him.

"Gordon Tracy! Your brother will not be pleased to know what you have on your mind in his craft."

Gordon chuckled. "Not the topic you'd usually cover over dinner." He shrugged, "so I suspect I am safe from the wrath of Virgil." He trailed kisses down her neck, loving every minute of the squirming, ticklish woman trapped in his arms.

"I'm not sure you would want to risk it so close to home? My current requirement is for a pilot. So unless you want to see what Parker is capable of, and I'm not sure Virgil would see it as an appropriate time to train Parker on the landing of his pride and joy, hop to it and take us home." Penelope chided with a smile.

Gordon yawned lazily stretching his arms allowing Penelope to break free. "Any updates from Scott and John while I was enjoying your ...erm… hospitality in dreamland."

Penelope smoothed down her crumpled clothing and gently cuffed him. "All data is available to anyone in the pilot's seat. Now take us home, we have a lot to catch up on."

Penelope left to rejoin Parker in the cockpit, placing a hand on his shoulder before clipping herself into the co-pilots seat. She would insist he got some proper rest when they made it to the villa. A newly alert and freshly focused Gordon strapped in beside her and confirmed with Eos he had the controls before appraising the data that had been streaming in since he had taken his just shy of two hour cat nap. Whether the turnaround was immediate at home he couldn't tell, but it looked likely. All he could comprehend was assistance from the GDF had been gifted then whipped away by a hell-storm in Europe and that all their survey drones had recently been deployed from Shadow. They were now pinging geological data from fifty miles of Norwegian coast line and still there was nothing to show for their efforts. He tried to hide the disappointment from the woman at the side of him but he could tell by the sympathy on her face that it was written all over his. Gordon brought his attention back to the task at hand, bringing the beast of a craft to rest on the landing strip before taxiing her into her hanger.

Casting an eye to Penelope, Gordon forced a smile "Well, we made it home."

"And judging by the welcome committee, I'd say you've been missed." Penelope replied lovingly.

Gordon followed Penelope's sightline to the hanger doorway where they were all huddled. Alan supported between his two older brothers, Kayo leaning on Grandma's arm.

"So are we giving them our good news Penny?" Gordon enquired with a grin on his face.

Penelope tried and failed to suppress the snort of amusement that left her lips with her reply "Presumptuous and hardly the time or the place. Our time would be better spent getting a proper update and perhaps some food."

"You sure about the food? Grandma bakes her way through a crisis."

Penelope rose and gently kissed his cheek before flicking his ear. "Gordon Tracy your Grandmother has enough on her mind. You will be nothing if not polite and respectful. And you are not to mention …. Well, you know well enough what you are not to mention. We will not be crass in the present circumstances."

"Quite right m'lady," reinforced Parker.

The presence of the hereto forgotten about additional voice put pay to any argument. He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "You go on ahead while I complete the post flight checks. Virgil will no doubt want to check his bird before I am released from the cockpit."

"You're damn right Squid." A booming voice confirmed.

Gordon span in his chair and greeted his brother with a warm smile with one eye on the retreating form of Penelope as she made her way out of the cockpit.

Gordon vacated the donated seat "You wanna check her over?"

Virgil grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him into a hug "Not this time squid, come here ya big lump.." he tightened his arms around him, "fancy sticking around to help me turn this baby around for the off."

Gordon released himself "You got something? We're shipping straight out?"

Virgil slapped his back "Soon. Now let's get my baby ready to roll then get you re-fuelled."


	40. Chapter 40

Ch40

John had promised Penelope a warm Tracy welcome, but so far, after initial pleasantries had been dispensed with, he was acutely aware he had retreated. Preferring instead to pace a solitary trail from the kitchen to the veranda and back again, while muttering under his breath as the others took an offered seat. His Grandmother brushed past him, taking a second to squeeze his hand, before heading for the cold buffet she had spent the last hour on to take her mind off the disappointment. The whole scene he was trying to avoid was more that of a wake than a welcome home. He didn't need a distraction like his grandmother; he needed focus, he had to work out why three receivers had not picked up a signal on a known frequency. He knew had told Scott it was a set-back for his sake, it was more than that, it was a fucking disaster. He would have been in better company with his AI wingman, dealing with facts rather than the raw emotion bubbling with no-one prepared to release it into the room. He had been half-tempted to take the eight minute detour to Five but on the last contact Brains and Eos had confirmed they were pulling everything he would have called on to troubleshoot their options. Alerted by Gordon and Virgil's muffled voices announcing their return from the hanger, he came to a halt and watched their entrance pensively from the outskirts of the ring. He waited for them to throw _that_ look in his direction, landing blame where it was deserved; it wasn't just the failure of a simple piece of tech, it was the hope he had given them all ripped from their grasp. But both plonked into a seat side by side in perfect synchrony with barely a glance in his direction and simultaneously lifted a handful of sandwiches from a plate handed around by his grandmother.

Food hadn't registered on his radar, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had more than a cookie, must have been on Five though, the sum total of his consumption since his return had been the hot chocolate. If anything past his lips now it was likely to make a swift return and stain the carpet giving his grandmother something else to fret about. He looked for a likely landing spot, one that would show him joining forces with the others in vain symbolism but allow his own thoughts without interruption. Conferences in the flesh were not his specialty and each in the room had already found a crutch, Kayo and Penelope were in the hanger seats in deep conversation. The Casey update taking all their attention, gifting them their own comfort zone, ensconced in supposition and piecemeal facts. Grandma in default carer mode, jumping between ensuring an exhausted Parker had everything he needed, to bustling around Alan. Her comfort zone, keep busy and carry on, any disappointment she felt she would leave for a private moment. The newcomers managing a laugh, taking solace in a companionship that had been built on tough times, keeping each other afloat with humour and an supportive arm around a shoulder. The reccy did nothing to bring him to a decision, where in the disjointed conference to take a seat, so, inert on the periphery he remained. Still mulling over the illusive epiphany to reason behind their failure, the frequency could have changed but Eos had started on that theory first. The relay they were still utilizing confirmed that it was operating above Germany. It left a fifty-fifty, tech failure or Brain's theory they hadn't communicated until over the mainland of Europe. His role had always been hard fact and so far he didn't have much more than red or black odds, with nothing to turn the odds in their favour. Going through the checklist for the failure of the rig was for him Brains and possibly Virgil to brainstorm. Those present and Scott needed their attention focused on the long-shots they still had, heads were already down. They didn't need the detail and failure was not a word he was prepared to throw into the ring, especially in front of Gordon who had taken the detour for nothing. He watched his blond brother taking the defeat with grace in the company of his pilot but wondered what was playing out behind the smile.

Scott's holographic form lit the ring, breaking his appraisal of his brother. Guiltily, as if his eldest brother could read his mind he discharged his thoughts and kept his eyes firmly on centre stage. Scott was the comfortable one when holding court, making assessments, giving orders, sometimes delivering a jolt when needed in any debrief situation but he remained unusually quiet. All eyes had instantly homed in on the blueish form, ready to hang on every word, praying that a miracle from the survey drones had happened since their last update to the Island only ten minutes before. Scott's blue eyes pinned his looking to him for an answer he hadn't got and he was grateful when Scott took his silence for what it was, nothing to report. Penelope broke the deadlock, maybe staging a rescue of her own whether she was saving him or Scott was anyone's guess. Scott seemed relieved and listened intently to Penelope's conversation with Maitland being re-told for the benefit of the eldest. While that filled the silence all John could think about was the rig had failed and with their own surveillance drones sending back data of little significance, they had nothing to take the edge off the wait. Scott was in the field with nothing to do and judging by the dark circles framing his blue eyes he was no doubt Scott was now just a brother in need of company. John moved forward, standing behind the back rest of Virgil seat, bringing him the only thing he could, the view of a united family.

Scott waited for Penelope to stop her brief, then addressed his primary frustration with his direct younger sibling, managing to keep a lid on and keep a tone as if he was asking him to pass the salt "John, the attack, where the hell those drones come from? I got nothing and neither did Eos according to her last contact. Thought we had their frequency?"

John stalled at the hour-old-ground Scott immediately needed to revisit, he couldn't blame him, he'd just paced a trail in the carpet on the very same question. He called Brains into the ring. Scott redirected his irritation, repeating the question but delivering it with an edge, Scott still had a little fight left in him.

"The relay picked up encrypted c…communications just south Kassel. Radar images the GDF have shared from their ATC t…towers show the mech army pinged on their viewer only when they started communicating. They can c…confirm they split in to smaller formations, then disappeared before s…showing up again on the attack. The frequency is still viable. Scott m…most likely, they didn't c…communicate at all within our triangulated area but rig failure we c…can't discount that. You could c…check the rigs."

John smiled at the scientist, ensuring Scott was busy was on-brief and a check of the two in Norway was worth a shot. He was unlikely to volunteer to leave Norway and hit rig three but no-one would blame him with the drone army likely to communicate on the return to the hideout.

John threw himself into the brief, feeling more comfortable with the eldest present than he had on his carpeted trail, "The Professor in Scotland is on his way to the terminal; our American target is over the Atlantic with our GDF babysitter."

He watched his brother register the information; he guessed the smile he received was down to avoiding O'Bannon by name, causing the flush he had been trying to avoid in the first place. "Check the rigs and then Scott, get some rest. We have not run out of options, so rest while you can."

The Fjords are a rabbit warren of potential hiding places." Gordon added barely audibly to on-one in particular, before throwing a half-eaten sandwich back onto the plate resting at his side.

In that defeated gesture, John knew he considered his Scandinavian detour one hell of a waste of time and was, as feared, taking its failure personally at the mention of Scott checking his work.

Scott took-in where John's eyes landed and gifted a smile to his deflated blond brother. A lesson had been learned from the cock-pit, while he could share his frustration here, his anger, building with the ferocity of a cornered animal, was his to bear alone and would not be directed at a soft target.

"Just checking. Discount the possibility for Brains." Scott proffered softly.

"Hey! Nothing wrong with my work." Gordon protested at the perceived slight and the two sets of eyes now firmly planted on him.

"Squid, no one is saying there is." Scott continued in the same tone, "I'm just looking for a time-filler, sure they are fine and Brains is right. Just going crazy out here on my own with nothing to do, nothing to look at, its pitch black out here."

John searched Scott's deadened eyes as they met briefly before returning to Gordon. He had noticed the way his stroked his jaw line and gritted his teeth after each contribution. There was a dangerous head of steam bubbling beneath the surface, and crazy may not be far off the mark. He imagined that in a few more hours of enforced inactivity in the solitude of Shadow's cockpit that the risk of cabin fever, with no outlet for his pent up aggression, was quite possibly their main concern at present.

John jolted from his appraisal of his brother as he felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket, an indication that Ridley was still awake and fighting boredom. He resisted the temptation, no matter how much he hankered for someone to spew his negativity to and receive a guaranteed positive charge back, his brothers needed him here. Ridley was _his_ anchor, but a private port of call, and it was something that would have to wait until later, he had been selfish enough in his initial retreat. He knew had plenty of time to catch up with her on her six hour flight, and he would as soon as they grasped anything to lift the mood, then he would vent his own head of steam to her and would feel a darn site better for it. John gave Virgil's shoulder a squeeze and walked around the back of the seats and sat down next to Alan. Instantly he noted his brother's grateful smile as his Grandmother's ministrations dissipate with the additional company in favour of a return to the kitchen for more supplies. Buoyed by John at the side of him and a tactile pat to the leg his red-headed brother had delivered Alan found his voice.

"We need a holding area. Somewhere quiet that won't attract attention."

"For what Al?" Kayo and John questioned in unison.

"For the birds! If Scott get's hit with a signal now from one of our drones then you are at least an hour from providing any back-up. So why don't you head to Europe? Sit it out in the Arctic Circle, Iceland, return to Scotland, anywhere in jumping distance. You won't be as close as the GDF promised but I'll cut down your ETA."

Virgil looked at John with a shrug and a smile, "nothing we haven't already considered. Gordon's back, Four's loaded. Just because Plan A failed….Al's right, why the hell not?"

"Are we ready to announce our presence before we get a location?" John qualified; there was still a huge deviation from their initial assessment. They had agreed Scott would wait and they would join him when they had a location. But, being out there together, Al may just have nailed what they needed, to be doing something and doing it together.

"They may not have an eye on the back door if they are expecting all eyes to be on Germany. And the birds are hidden from all _known_ tech. If they do see us, it may be good to have him thinking we are looking in the wrong area." Alan continued his thoughts spewing as fast as they were occurring on receipt of the encouragement from Virgil.

"Announcing our arrival on this type of mission is not something I would usually sanction." Kayo stated while bouncing the pro's and con's around in her head, Scott with back-up was currently winning hands down, miles ahead of the obvious pitfalls. But stating it out-loud, putting another three out there on a long-shot, was so far off her remit, ' _do it, go help my boyfriend_ ' may have screaming inside her head but her lips were sealed. The outcome was a sure bet anyway, she knew them all too well.

John smiled, all they needed was a fresh focus and the deflated room burst into life like new growth after a long winter. He watched Penelope mirror his contact with his brother and pat her friend's leg, taking the baton from her. "But we may force an action. Let's just say the drones got enough data from Thunderbird One when they attacked it to locate it when cloaked. Her presence away from the target area may just draw out more drones, and they will need to communicate with each other on the hunt."

Kayo shifted her gaze around the room, finally resting on Scott whose eyes had returned a little of their lust for life. Scott smiled at her as he made eye contact, he had nothing to say directly to her, not here, but she knew what he wanted to say, judging by his smile. And she returned it, didn't need the words just a look was enough for both of them.

He turned to his youngest brother. "So I get some company in a few hours. And I've nothing to better to do while I wait so I'll check the rigs. Brains I'll contact Five when I hit the first, then launch my mech's into the target zone, may give you some data to troubleshoot the problem. If we get nothing in Norway then I'll take a jaunt to Scotland to check the last one. Got plenty of time to kill waiting for you boys to catch me up and the Professors are hours off leading us to them, not certain resting is an option, kinda wired."

"Rig Two. If I r…remember Gordon, you were cursing the high winds, Scott rig Two first." Brains added in part to ready a defence for the blond without the need for him to air another himself, "gusts i…increased dramatically after you left."

Gordon wiped his hands over his face, resting them there for a second, a brief shield while he composed himself. Brains had gifted him a lifeline but it wasn't enough, he knew he'd cost them time. Should've tested in them in the field with his own mechs, instead of having one eye on a ghost and the other on a reunion he needed. He felt the weight at the side of him shift to the left, his brothers shoulder soon replaced by a small hand clasping his hands away from his face and holding them in her own. He met her steely blue eyes and took all the silent comfort they offered. Gordon looked around the room and smiled wanly before defaulting to his comfort zone and declaring at volume, with a now painted on broad grin, "looks like a family reunion is go."

"Not a full family reunion," Alan countered with accompanying pout.

"Hey squirt, you'll have plenty to do at home. And you're not the only one feeling the pinch here," Kayo placated.

"Hard to be redundant in this," He muttered in response.

He felt John's arms round his shoulder "So I'm usually redundant am I? When you're on a mission, I'm up there floating on my arse." He gave him a squeeze and ruffled the top of his angled quiff, flattening to his forehead, "nice to know Squirt." He continued, now smiling at his flailing brother.

"John I didn't mean ….." Alan scowled the amusement written all over Gordon's face, "look I get it. Be nice to be on Five though."

Virgil instantly threw him a look of warning. "Mending broken bones and space travel are not conducive and you know it. You have a hoard of nano's that would do their work better in gravity and bone loss … Al you know the drill without me spelling it out to you but for all those that may cave in our absence. Bone density is an issue on a fit and healthy astronaut, without broken ones thrown into the mix. You'll get all mission data back on the Island and that is where you and Kayo will stay. If I have to disable Three and the elevator temporarily before I go, I will."

Alan looked to his sister for support as his grandmother nodded her approval of Virgil's statement. "Still we are not exactly contributing anything to this."

Kayo shrugged, this battle was over. Fight any harder and Al risked a lock-down in medical for them both.

Gordon smirked, "just a few of us seeing a little more of the world than others."

He received a well aimed cushion to his face as his sister defended Alan's feelings, which were completely aligned with her own.

"Gordon, no-one is sidelined and information is more valuable to us at the moment than a joyride for little purpose other than a head-start." Virgil admonished, noting the dejection of two of his siblings "This is Al's idea remember

"Scott looks like we are joining you in the Northern Hemisphere. Anything at all to give a precise location then you wait for Virg. Field command from One as agreed." John confirmed, mission control a hard habit to break once you had a mission to control.

"If I'm the only one in the field then I am in command. Virg can bust my balls when he makes it to Europe. Until then it's my call to make." Scott countered, finding a defiant smile, which now ran full flush across his face.

"And while I am heading to the field I think I can show them a little of One on their scanners to warrant investigation." Virgil replied calmly but his expression challenging his elder brother to bust his balls for making the offer.

Scott stalled, saved by the gravelly tones of his grandmother, "Virgil Tracy no one is offering themselves up as bait."

Kayo looked at Penelope who cocked her head to one-side in agreement, "Grandma it's not a plan without its merits, the risks just needs managing."

Grandma held her gaze with a scowling eye that would turn most recipients to stone. More communicating from her glare and her stance with two empty plates she had been holding than she allowed to leave her lips "Not on my watch!"

Penelope reaffirmed her friends statement, keeping eye-contact, "we think of a way manage the risk."

"And how do you propose we manage the risk." She responded, her rebuttal prickly leaving little doubt there was no argument they could make that would change her mind. Penelope may well have been comfortable offering herself up like a lamb to slaughter in London but she was damned if Virgil was going to be used as cannon-fodder.

Alan relieved his grandmother of a plate and held her hand "We reverse launch, Two goes first. Cloaked and already on site for the flyby from Virgil. Virg shows them his tail to attract attention. Best shot we've got on the table. And if the rigs viable then we have their launch site."

"We have other options, son. Stop and think about what you are asking."

Scott stopped the merry-go-round of argument and counter-argument that was threatening to spill into all-out verbal warfare. If he hadn't needed to check the rigs first he'd have stopped all bickering, pulled the plug and used Shadow to take the flyby himself. "Sounds like a plan to me but if you would rather put this one to the vote." He directed his comment to his Grandmother.

"You running a democracy here now Scott?" Virgil questioned raising an amused eyebrow.

"I'd rather not. If you want to do this then I think we go for it, but everyone gets their say."

Penelope rounded the shoulders of the matriarch "They need him. This will not change the value of Jeff to them."

"I got your personal guarantee on that." Grandma sniped.

Gordon jumped to Penelope's aid, lowering his tone from the defensive stance he had wanted to take. "We could wait for them to return, or for two Professors to lead us to them. But the attacks in Europe mean something is moving now. We need to get in on the action Grandma. Much as it pains me to say it, Virgil is right we need to draw them out. If we don't act soon there is the risk of them abandoning their hideout. Then we got nothing. Start the whole shebang from scratch. We'll get regular updates from The Colonel and Brains, we'll adapt and adopt on the hoof."

"Grandma let's give it a shot." Alan pleaded. "With Two already on site and Shadow armed, the risk to Virgil _is_ managed. We are surprising them this time, they are not springing one on us."

Grandma surveyed the room; the waiting game and recent action had produced desperation, providing them all an invisible ticking clock. She sighed; defeat in the argument was inevitable. Even John had bought into it judging by his relaxed pose leaning into the youngest.

"One hair on his head out of place and I will never forgive myself." Grandma stated with a slight waiver to her voice. With that agreement was universal.

Virgil smiled "One hair on my head out of place and I will never forgive myself."

A laugh ran round the ring, even his Grandmother smiled, the impasse broken with along with the ice. Virgil raised his feet onto the couch noting the glance of his Grandmother towards his now offending boots.

He shrugged "Got a little time to kill. John, Gordon, half an hour to get your arses in the air."

His Grandmother ruffled his crowning glory, ignoring the protest "Boot's off the furniture."

Kayo watched her two brother's leave, one now clutching his electronic lifeline and one clinging to the waist of his physical one. She rose to go nowhere in particular, a vain protest to the fact she was sitting it out and not going to join them. They were now firmly planting themselves in a territory she was comfortable with, taking the fight to them. Only this time she had absolutely no control.

"Don't just feed the data back to Five. You hold any briefing with is all, and no showing _your_ tail. You launch drones and recall immediately. Then you go hide while Virg counts to ten." She commented to the holographic form of her boyfriend.

"Brains heading to site two stand by for data." Scott confirmed, taking in his last view of the room, before winking at his girlfriend, this time barely getting smile back in response.

"FAB." The scientist confirmed before the holodeck cleared of light.

…..

Jeff had watched the impatient pacing of his captor; he was obviously waiting for something to happen or for some contact. What was obviously irritating the beast of a man, amused him greatly while they still sat inert in the hanger. For his own sanity's sake he had compartmentalised as trained, zoning into the present and his surroundings. Shutting Kayo's death from his mind, there would be a time to mourn his daughter if he survived, if not he would be joining her and had an eternity to make his peace. Faith had not been a part of his life for longer than he could remember but in a cold ship with a thousand strands of _what if's_ having the potential to wield blow after blow, he took a moment to take a breath and pray for a miracle. He re-opened his eyes, determined to take in every detail while his captors silence provided no intelligence to fill in the gaps.

The flight control on the craft were unlike anything he had ever seen before, all systems running through an animated pilot who was hooked up on long, thick data cables that allowed him the full 360 of the flight deck. The view from the large windows provided a 180 view, currently a rock face. More interestingly the chair he had been strapped two was not fixed. A little push with his feet confirmed he could move left and right along a small track and the chair, although he had not tried out his theory, had full rotation. He turned towards the display nearest him, in theory, a flight engineers rig. If the giant ship ran to safety design protocol the flight systems, comms and avionics had to have a secondary controls and if he was not mistaken he was sitting just out of reach of them. Assessment made, he turned his attention back to the man now with his back to him, considering the time that had lapsed since his contact with Mason and Abbott he surmised that something had not gone according to plan. And an enemy with plans in disarray may just give him a fighting chance that did not end with his pulsating wrist band being shoved into the secondary controls to see what damage it would do in flight.

…..

The Mechanic's initially buoyant mood after the launch of his army had descended, promised action by the Darwin rat had failed in a full European shutdown. Eyes in Paris had expected the attack. He vocalised his rage in a guttural roar before swiping angrily at the screen confirming his losses and redirecting the remains of his deployed army from the Parisian high security facility towards the others in a holding pattern at high altitude over the alpha target. The locater he had expected to be on the move had not, remaining static, inert but for the pacing within a four metre square room in the heartland of the English countryside. Now frustratingly off plan, the desired effect from the chaos on the Mainland needed further orchestration and he had only half of his first wave in the air to complete the brief. If he had to rip The Hood out of Parkmoor with his bare hands then he would, his annoyance was at the time being wasted. The end result would be the same. Lifting him off the road in his armoured convoy would have been preferable, swift and with no footage available for the mainstream news agencies. He now knew a link had to have been made, his ally in Parkmoor had been put on the radar, for all Mason's assurances, the Brits had shown no intention to move him. They would need a public outcry at the incompetence of the GDF. A failure of the GDF to keep the public safe, and for that to be witnessed by every news broadcast on the planet had to be the new contingency to ensure the Brits panicked.

He scrolled across his holo-screen reducing the map of Europe to a small section on the right hand corner, bringing in his ally.

"Abbott I am waiting for your promised action! In the meantime inform all agents in Germany we need a little chaos to scapegoat the GDF, make their advice to them seem worthless. Your incompetence has cost me enough and I have lost half my first deployment because they saw me coming in Paris. It's time to earn your keep or the enterprise and nearly two years of planning falls and believe me when I say you will pay, you both will. Get Mason!." He barked with venom

"Mason is discussing the interference of the GDF in British internal affairs now. He is cupping Maitland's balls applying the squeeze. Reminding them The Hood has our courts to answer too first for his alliance with The Luddites and the attempted theft of the Codex. Don't forget he has the deaths of nearly a hundred souls to answer to before handing him over to them. He just needs to regain the PM's ear and I am sure a few deaths in Germany and a little panic on the rolling newsfeeds will sway him to transfer the prisoners from Parkmoor to the underground facility at Greenwich."

….

Jeff watched the action intrigued at the change in the bravado of his foe. He could smell the desperation of the man during the conversation, his tensed muscles bulged as his hands pumped in front of his cohorts, not a trace in his voice. As data once again took the place of the balding man with a glistening brow he noted him relax as master in his own domain. Jeff trailed his legs along the floor slowly pushing the chair to the end of its tracks towards the muscular tattooed man in the goggles and mask and then he turned towards the console. His arms still fast behind him, with taser restraints pulsing their warning around his wrists, while trying to evaluate with a squint each function. He rocked the chair, shifting his body weight to feel the give on the track, his legs free from restraint allowing movement in the lift made with his lower arms leaving his wrist free from contact. He was no longer a strong man after captivity, his sons may well have managed to pull it free from its constraints, but he knew he was pissing the wind, he'd have seconds to make his move when the time came. His grip slipped and swift warning bolt of electricity coursed through his system as the restraints hit the unidentified chair in their programming.

The goggled man span as a warning triangle sprang to life on his screen. He growled, swiping data, barely looking at the cause of his irritation as he swung his arm behind him sending a stronger pulse to his captive's wrists, before re-engaging with the small dots on the map of the English Channel now disappeared in droves. The Mechanic swiped angrily, and for the second time Jeff witnessed the rock face in front open up sending out a further wave of mechanical drones into the night sky.

Jeff recovered his breathing and smirked "Had shorter delays waiting for a flight in the middle of an air traffic dispute."

The Mechanic swung his arm in the direction of Jeff and a second stronger bolt fired through the wrist restraint. Jeff arched in the chair his breath taken from his body until the pulse subsided.

"Careful what you wish for" The Mechanic spat "It's time to take a little excursion. It won't be long before that smile is wiped from your face by your old enemy."


	41. Chapter 41

Ch41

They took the walk up the stairs to the bedrooms in silence, Penelope choosing to support Gordon by claiming his hand rather than placate, or make assurances she knew would not really be heard by the man returning her hand-hold with a vice-like grip. On the other side of her, John, who was lost in world within his hand-held device and barely registering the company he was with, until they reached the open door to Gordon's room. Penelope placed a brief hand on John's shoulder, gave a comforting squeeze, before entering the salvation of a private space. She turned, witnessing the brief embrace of two brothers who were both privately contemplating their failure, then their break from that contact with only an agreement about a time to meet up passing between them. Gordon closed the door behind him, stalled as if his back had been glued to it, and reluctantly made eye contact with her.

Penelope realised she only had a short time to ascertain the damage inflicted by his own self-sabotage. She didn't have to witness a breakdown from him to know that behind the eyes that had lifted briefly to meet hers, there was a tortuous, damaging whirlwind of self-reproach. All she wanted was to wrap him up in her arms and order him to rest. He would never admit it of course, but the short sleep he'd managed on the way back from Europe had hardly scratched the surface. The man's energy levels may have sustained in England and on task in Norway, but they had dwindled on the final act in Scotland. By the journey home they were the bare wisp of smoke from a candle at the end of its lifespan. And no matter how Gordon portrayed himself in the company of his direct elder brother on the return from the hanger, she'd had her trained eye on him the whole way through the briefing. The light had gone out, and this more than anything they had just discussed had her heart hammering with fear. Fear that she would never allow him to see.

In just under half an hour she would be allowing Gordon to leave with an equally tortured soul, Thunderbird Two would be in the hands of two brothers in the grips of negativity, a more dangerous scenario she could hardly imagine. The Tracy brothers as a unit were strong, and filled with a 'fly by the seat of your pants' kind of bravado, they never considered failure. She didn't know O'Bannon but she hoped to god that she would be able to deliver enough to get John back to a positive mindset. Gordon needed to feed his positivity from someone, but first he had to let go. With Gordon still using the door to support him she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around him. Pulling him away from the inanimate crutch she gently rocked him like a mother delivering comfort to a hurt child and she waited. The feeling of wetness seeping into her shoulder was the first indication that his exhaustion had been admitted to. Followed by a sob he tried to choke down, she held her silence and let them fall. She would have held him there for the day given the opportunity but donating five or ten minutes of their precious time to a true release was all she could really give him. The last fifteen minutes had to be concentrated on building him back up to the man she recognised.

A few minutes passed where she delivered an occasional whispered _shhh darling, let it out_ , after several minutes, his shoulders stopped heaving and he braved a look into her face.

Penelope used her thumbs to wipe the tear stains from each cheek, before leaving a kiss in their place, then she in fished around her pockets for a tissue to do a more thorough job of removing the evidence, "now we talk darling, you let me in."

Gordon shrugged, "Just …. You know, fucking hell Pen! I fucked it right up. Scott nailed it …. A test run Pen, that's all it needed a fucking test run."

"And I very much suspect that your test run would have been successful, I concur with Brains, the failure of the receivers is due to the weather." Penelope whispered moving her head down to his shoulder, nuzzling his neck and by default returning him back to her protector. "A storm Gordon, you'll see when Scott checks in, I'll wager you…

Gordon kissed the top of her head, "careful, wager nothing you're not prepared to lose Pen."

"I'll risk you choosing our honeymoon on it."

She knew it was a cheap shot, and she deserved the few seconds the words hung in the air between them. She guided them to the edge of the bed and took a seat. Gordon on automatic pilot joined her.

Gordon smoothed his fingers over her hair as she nestled back into his side, "Penny, that detour, taking a look at the coastline I … What was I expecting? I should've had my eye trained on one thing at a time."

"And you did. Your father…. Gordon everyone had someone to talk to after they got that location. You were on your way, and on your own, without taking a breath…. Do you really think any one of your brothers would have acted differently?"

"No. Suppose not."

"Then stop. In less than twenty – four hours, you came to my aid, and completed your brief. You stop now Gordon Tracy, and you stop this because you are still needed."

"God, I miss him Pen."

"I know you do darling, and soon you will be able to tell him how much." Now was the time for assurance, now she truly had his ear she could encourage a vision of what his next action could deliver. Not false promises, but hope, she told herself, as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"You rescued me Gordon Tracy."

This brought a chuckle, "I consumed a cup of extremely disappointing coffee."

Penelope laughed, "It was rather bad wasn't it… But you didn't hear me Gordon. You _have_ rescued me."

Gordon's lips crashed against hers, taking her by surprise, briefly holding hers in minimal movement. He withdrew, and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I think maybe you have just rescued me," He smiled, a little light returning to his amber eyes, "Lie with me Pen, just for five minutes before I have to go." He pulled her into his side, stroking her hair as her head lent on his chest, "and if you are right Pen, about the storm, I won't hold it against you. I wouldn't trust myself to book us a weekend away that would blow your mind, let alone a honeymoon." He tilted her chin towards him and lent over her, placing a lingering kiss on her lips, "s'just have here and now Pen. We'll talk about the rest when dad comes home."

….

John crashed through his door with one eye still roving over the numerous texts he now knew verbatim, he pulled a duffle bag absentmindedly from his easy chair, as he re-devoured each contact. Even in written form O'Bannon provided much needed distraction. With little concentration he threw a few items into the bag, a nod to the long haul, there could still be one helluv a wait on the other side. He stuffed in a change of clothes, and as an afterthought some toiletries, smiling as he realised O'Bannon held an influence over his decision making process. Once that small mission was taken care of, he fell onto the bed and turned his full attention to the screen again.

 _Assisted the professor with his overhead luggage. Had the locator done before we got off the runway. You have to let me know if he's pinging as space trash. Kinda seeing the fun I can have with the power of my new found friends. If this works there are several cadets when I return to the training facility that I wouldn't mind monitoring! Xxx_

John chuckled. He could well imagine the type of off-the-radar activities the cadets hoped to get away with. After all they had both been on campus and filled with the cock-sure attitude that allowed all new recruits to think they could burn the candle at both ends and get away with it.

 _U ok? xx_

Translated, no doubt, as bored John, save me.

 _John if you get the chance text me back. Xx_

Yup, definitely bored, and one of those people definitely not comfortable sat on her arse doing nothing.

 _Hey Tracy … hit cruising alt ages ago, so don't text me back now ….you talk to me. x_

John picked up the phone.

"Heading out O'Bannon, I'll let you know when I'm in the air if your tech has managed the job." He winced, acutely aware he'd hidden behind a work related tone, but he hoped his brusque delivery smacked with the urgency of a mission rather than emotional avoidance. After all she knew him well enough now to know he never really did peppy, even for her.

"John, what gives, and don't bullshit me? Not known you long Tracy, but I swear your head is down. Talk to me."

"Check your newsfeed O'Bannon. The drones doing the damage in Europe….. They were meant to be on our radar."

"Hey astronaut, our career is all about dealing with unforeseen circumstances. Funk John is a dangerous mindset." Silence hung for a moment before Ridley knew it was hers to fill, "Hey John ... if you're shipping out now, I'll be getting to Norway after you. I expect you to give me a weather report?"

John sighed, "Just need to look out your window O'Bannon."

"Don't give me that crap and can't you take the hint? I just want you to keep talking to me? You any worse off? Think about it, has anything really changed?"

"Well, plan A hasn't worked."

"So troubleshoot it."

"Scott's working on it."

"So?"

"So, what?"

"Speaking as your obviously disappointing plan B John, you get back to what you do have, and we make that work. On Five John, a systems failure or debris hits, compromising essential life-sustaining function; does your head abandon ship? … Or do you grab an oxygen supply and goddammed fix it."

John smiled, just enough, she had, as always, delivered just enough to return him from the abyss. "Give me half an hour and I'll give you your precise co-ordinates from the tracker and a weather report if you still want one. Thank you Ridley."

"I miss you John." O'Bannon whispered, "You John Tracy are the man that protects an entire planet, find _him_ and take _him_ to Norway."

"Ridley I l…, I miss you too."

"Fly safe astronaut, haven't given up hope that I may catch up with you briefly before you hold your re-union shindig."

He glanced at the aftershave nestled at the top of his bag, "me too O'Bannon, and as you've never met my father, I better warn you that when he knows how much help you've given us, he will persuade you to join us. In fact he will order it, and no-one defies an order from him."

"Ha! There's my Tracy…now go get him home."

For a moment John kept the phone to his ear, just on the off chance there was more from her. As silence reigned, he closed his eyes, taking five minutes to re-focus. Banging on about the rig in Thunderbird Two would be the equivalent of kicking Gordon while he was already on the floor. Their job was to grab their metaphorical oxygen masks, and protect Virgil while he offered himself up as bait to the mechanical army that had already reaped chaos across Europe. He opened his eyes, Virgil would not be let down by the pilots in his green goddess, it had a certain poetry, his girl being his protector. He spent the rest of his time taking one last look at communications from his personal cheerleader. Eventually the clock decreed that Gordon had had his respite too. He grabbed the bag off the bed and closed the door to his room. He pressed his hand to Gordon's door armed with a smile and immediately wished he had announced his presence. He tinged with pink as the two untangled themselves from their passionate embrace, surprised at the tinge of jealousy that view sparked in himself.

"You never heard of knocking?" Gordon stated, pulling Penelope back to his side.

"Sorry Squid. I'll run the pre-flight checks. Meet me in Two when you're ready." John muttered backing out of the room.

"Shut the door on your way out John, I'll be there in five." Gordon responded, smiling at the retreating form of his brother.

Five additional minutes seemed a fare gift, his brother after all was engaging in something he would be indulging in if he'd had the chance.

…

Scott made the site of rig two within ten minutes; the sky now tinged by the hint of pre-dawn light, the blackest sky the night offered up, turning inky blue with lighter hues touching the earth. Thank god for the top of the world in summer he muttered to himself. He aided his initial recce with light from Shadow, and on instant appraisal there was a clear issue with the second rig. It was gonna take one helluv a tag-team with Brains to troubleshoot this one. Shadow gave him limited options, any of the other birds and the problem, with the tech they carried, could be rectified in minutes. With a bird built for recon, that did not carry the hardware that would save some back-breaking physical work, they would need some creative thinking. He switched comms to give the scientist his initial assessment.

"Scott what are your f…findings?" Brains questioned.

"Leaning Tower of Pisa made from mechano." Scott responded. "Buckled on the right hand side. Give me a fix Brains, a little short in the toolbox."

"S…send me images using the infra-red c…camera and also GPR readings." Brains instructed.

Scott sent the requested data and waited for the return of the genius to his cockpit; in the meantime he flew in low across the mountaintop and attached a grapple, pulling the rig to vertical. The off chance always his first instinct, it wobbled like a lamp post in the wind when he detached the grapple, then immediately relaxed back onto its compromised side. He tapped his fingers irritably on the controls; even he could see that he had the wrong bird for the job and what was taking him so long? The distance between him and his father had been meant to narrow not increase, there seemed no point sticking around unless he could unbend metal with his mind.

Brains I'm launching the drones directly above, "Tell me if you get any data. If we get nothing from them now then we re-calculate how much time we are prepared to spend on this diversion."

Scott watched his mechs dance in the skies due west of the rig before they returned and attached back onto their surrogate mother-ship.

The smile on the holographic form of his friend confirmed the validity of spending time on this project. "Scott I hear them!"

Scott returned the smile "Then talk me through our maintenance options Brains. How the hell do we get this to stand tall?"

"You m…may not have the usual equipment but we do have adequate r…resources." The scientist smiled, "as much as they are designed to r…rip things apart, and absorb power we can re-configure them using Eos to make a repair. Are they back in their c…cradles?"

"Sleeping like babies." Scott responded with a smile.

"Then t…time to wake them up." Brains countered with unusual relish, "New protocol added, launch when ready."

Scott was about to terminate the contact with their usual FAB, before the voice of his red-headed brother took over his conscious, "Brains, thank you. And sorry for the way I spoke to you on the way out here."

The apology flustered the scientist, who managed to terminate the call with their usual acknowledged and briefed.

Scott landed taking care of the manual details, unclamping the magnetic grasps before using Shadow to lift the rig out of the ground. Then he kept her upright while the mechs moulded the metal back into, as near as dammit, its original line, before returning it to its housing and then he brought Shadow to rest so he could manually attach additional supports and reattach the magnetic holds. The whole process on the ground had taken Scott with the help of their enemy's re-programmed resources forty minutes. Scott whooped his delight to Brains on the completion of the task, before he turned Shadows nose back towards the coast. His thoughts returned to home and he and calculated his brothers were still half an hour away from the agreed time of Virgil's launch. Anything on radar in the meantime, would make the detour worthwhile, ' _Come on you sonofabitch, throw something else out there_.'

As he reached the sky above Bergen, Brains interrupted his thoughts "picking up s…signals off the northern coast. We have a second wave of drones out in the North Sea, we missed the l…launch while reconfiguring the rig but I'm trawling through the data see if we can't get a c…closer fix on the launch site. Sit it out on the cliffs on the n…northern end of the peninsula and wait for Thunderbird One's flyby. I have re-programmed your h…hardware. We go in for the alpha target, head of the arrowhead, and I'll deploy the virus."

Scott's stomach lurched and his heart tried to fight its way out of his chest, this was it, game on. "On route, ETA two minutes and Brains make sure you tell Gordon and John the extent of the damage we found at the rig. It works Brains, you make it clear to them, we got our data, too late this time but we got it. Gordon needs to know that it is not his fault."

"FAB."

Scott brought Shadow into the target area, completing scans of the coastline for any anomalies after the recent launch. Any man made bunker in the area gave no signs of its existence. No vents, no signs of life, cloaking was obviously not just the domain of the ship it housed. Brains interrupted him again.

"All briefed, Virgil is itching to go but I s…stalled him, the timing has to be precise for his back-up to be on site. Scott, your bio-readings are off the c…chart, take some rest."

Scott was about to argue but the advice, with Virgil on his way to offer himself as bait, and he could see the counter argument before it was called for. He brought Shadow to rest on the cliff face, nose pointing upwards and he closed his eyes. Sleep may not come but a soft shut-down would aid his responses when required to ensure Virgil did not face the same fate that he had in Thunderbird One at North Island. He had been certain the blank canvas would be filled with pictures and scenarios, what if's, plans, imagined heroics and the arms of his father. Fatigue in fact made it simple, his eye lids relaxed, his brain turned to wool and sleep overtook him.

…..

The giant engines of the craft roared into life, Jeff felt the beast lift, then hover in position as the hanger doors gaped wider, showing him a view of narrow a stretch of water with high cliffs on either side. The actions of the man at the helm were steady and controlled; Jeff took in the holo-map hanging in mid air, showing three dots on the map converging over the heartland of England, with others pinging their threat in standard arrow formation heading for their position. The visual shifted to an image showing masked men in a cargo bay, the assumption he had to make, they were in the crafts belly and that they were along for the ride with them.

"Weapons ready, abseil drops once the additional mechs are deployed from the ship, and I have confirmed when the knock-out gas has infiltrated the air con system. Medics on standy-by to receive our guest."

The Mechanic's briefing was short, again leaving Jeff to fill in the gaps. Although most plan B's were contrived on the hoof, it was apparent that this was not the spur of the moment, on the back foot, sortof a deal. The grainy camera image showed a dozen or more men now clipping attachments to a multitude of weapons. A blueprint was then brought forth showing a red icon bleeping it's presence in the target facility. A countdown clock hit the bottom right corner of the screen, set at twenty minutes and falling from the second it appeared. A holo-communication pulsed and two men he recognised appeared.

"I cannot wait any longer. If questions are asked about how I have the plans for your institution then it is your problem. If you have not worked it out by now there will be no going back for you. Your allegiance is confirmed." His captor barked at the screen.

Sweat poured down the brow of one and cheeks flushed and the eyes sparked with anger in the elder man.

"You are a little premature!" the elder man snapped, before composing his voice "the PM is on edge after the incidents orchestrated in Germany. Four deaths so far have been attributed to the prisoner's signatures. And all prisoners from Parkmoor are now to be moved. The GDF are on en-route to pick up our person of interest. Maitland is to oversee the transport. Done his darndest to cool the PM on the subject, but with an election year in our favour, he does not want his inactivity to be brought into parliament by the opposition"

"What time is the move?" The goggled man growled.

"Departure 5:00 am. I have placed a tracker on the transport for his retrieval on the road, We will be seen to be on route to Greenwich, then we divert to our transport in the estuary."

The Mechanic paused, the countdown clock distracting him for a moment.

"Too late! I am heading to the target, road retrieval is not required, the drones will start the attack as soon as our friend is out of his cell and will rip Parkmoor apart. Without The Hood and the co-ordinates you will not gain your spy in the sky, a hint of the double-cross and you will be looking over your shoulders for life. And if you are not in Norway for the pick-up, then your involvement is terminated. We will not wait. Your usefulness in the early days has been negated now we are in the final stages. Your need for access to the worlds secrets, a mere snippet of what we are about to achieve with Thunderbird Five's systems at our disposal."

Abbotts attempted protest was stifled by the calmer Mason.

"And you are not beyond my reach. Never forget who saved your ass from an army cell. And I have kept my own contingency."

…..

Scott was woken from a fitful dose by the cliff face juddering under Shadow, rocks tumbling to either side of him. He released her, dropping freefall backward before the engines burst with life and he could take a position hovering just above his chosen landing zone. The cliff face immediately to his left at the end of the narrow gorge opened up, his sightline temporarily hampered by the additional altitude gained, before he brought her round to a better position. He fired a locational marker into the cliff face to the right of the gaping chasm, and then he opened up his voice comms to all.

"Movement, we have it! It's the craft from the footage at North Island! Gonna have to piggyback it. Only got seconds before, it hits horizontal flight and it will deploy cloaking."

"Still over an hour out from your location. Hang tight Scott." Gordon confirmed with an edge of panic.

Virgil joined them, "Thunderbird One is launching now. I'm taking active field control. Stay put Scott."

Scott countered "You should be reading the locational data. That's all you need. I'm going with the ship. Dad will either be in there when you take a recce or on this flying fortress. I am not losing sight of this ship waiting for you to catch me up."

Brains cut in, "Scott there's a h…high probability w…we'll lose all comms when you cloak with that vessel. We will lose your location."

The console in front of him was filled with family and friends.

"Stay put." Kayo and Grandma commanded in unison.

Scott took his eyes from them as the craft lifted above the waterway, clearing free from the shroud of the cliffs. Now or never.

He addressed the younger whose amber green eyes were returning the silent argument of ' _you fucking dare',_ "Would you wait?"

Kayo sighed, "No… Be careful."

Scott winked, then turned his attention to his brothers. Inform the GDF you have the location of the hideout. And rip that place apart."

…

Jeff felt the craft bank hard left as he watched the battle of words descend into insults, each of the men apparently with their own agenda for Thunderbird Five. His eye in the sky, which was instant salvation when disaster struck, and she was about to be used for god only knew what. His brain had not switched off from the Hackenbaker / Martin statement and the name Mason rang alarm bells. It had taken him a while to place him but he had heard it years before when Brains had spoken to Jeff about leaving his projects in England. Five years, five years since his friend had joined them in their operation full-time, leaving behind personalities that treated new technology as a personal cash cow. His attention shifted to the screen, a blueprint now showing a bleeping movement, The Hood had been released from his cell. He lifted himself carefully from the chair to gain height and take a view from the large cockpit window, carefully edging his arms to the top of the column of the chair-back, a wire loop game where the buzz would not just startle. A rumble of a laugh emanated from his captor, already celebrating his immanent success with his cronies.

"At last they are making it easy for me. Sending the drones to attack phase now, by the time they think they have won the battle, we will be in position for retrieval. Activate cloaking, full communication silence, until we have him."

With that The Mechanic cut communications dead on his stunned holo-guests and turned to Jeff.

"Sit down! Enjoy the on board entertainment. Armageddon on the big-screen in ten minutes. Followed by a touching re-union."

….

Scott matched the crafts speed as it hit a burst of speed, once free of the constraints of the landmass. He brought Shadow to rest on the hull of the expansive craft, resting her near its starboard aft engine.

The holographic form of Scott started to crack and fade at the Island, their communications hub in the stars and in the cockpits of the two Thunderbirds flying to join him.

Brains cut in "Scott we have the l…location now, and the rig's pinging drones over England, the GDF will bring the craft down."

"And if my fathers on it?" Scott exclaimed, "I'm staying w… to …re"

His last words were lost by static, before his hologram disappeared completely.


	42. Chapter 42

Ch42

Virgil watched the holographic form of his brother fade to nothing, Scott's last words still ringing defiantly in his ears. His first instinct as he hauled his large frame from the seats, anger, a white rage building within the few seconds of dead-air. His brother had not listened to him, discounting not only his instruction but a stark warning from Brains. Leaving him frustrated at an impulsive action that placed the whole family back to a time where they had spent every waking minute, either manning the comms desperate for a communication, or out on a search. A search that saw hours turn to days, days into weeks, until months had passed and for the first time in their history, Tracy's had conceded defeat. Even the mechanical gesture as they searched in vain had been better than that night when the lack of new leads brought a reluctantly unanimous vote. Virgil fought down the impulse to air his desperation to those now looking to him; instead he robotically made the walk around the ring towards his route to the skies. They did not need the obvious spelling out, but there was no denying his eldest brother had brought them back to a time when they hadn't functioned as a unit. Each and he included himself in that, had taken solo missions that had barely been co-ordinated considering their expertise, as emotion, ragged and raw, sent them out day after day chasing hope.

There was no doubt in his mind that John had felt the responsibility most during search for their father. On a mission that was little more than looking for a needle in the vast blue haystack of the southern Indian Ocean. The words had never been spoken by any of them but he had felt he was the one that had lost him. John had increasingly distanced himself, locking himself away on Five with his tech at his fingertips, certain that he was the only one who could find a lead to resurrect their hope. All they had done, whether by air or sea, had been to search an outward extending circle from his last know co-ordinates in vain, deploying the humanoid equivalent of autopilot. John had left no stone unturned, shipping in the area had been hacked; communications from those vessels closest to the search area had been monitored for months after. John had been certain that although he could find no record of a mayday call from his father that one of them must have come to his aid. Then three months after they had lost him, John had been forced to call it, recommend a period of mourning and reflection, then, as he put is at the time 'put it to the vote, a continuation of International Rescue', their father's legacy and their unspoken memorial. That was the only time in his life he saw venom pass between his elder brothers, hurting bringing the desire to hurt, Scott would never give up. But then neither did their eye in the sky, John had retreated to his solitary comfort zone, rare visits to the Island were brief and distracted. Both he and Scott had been certain, once the wound had closed enough for them to raise the subject, he was still searching. It was EOS that had returned him to them bit by bit, a little fatherhood of his own bringing him back within the arms of the family. If anything, the only saving grace in this current situation was that John was in the air with Gordon, this single thought brought a calming stop gap in the tumultuous torture running wild in his head. John was not trapped in his tin-can going through this on his own, he had his own wingman with him, and there was no better company.

He stood, strangely inert now the lamps were in his hands, taking a last look at the aftermath in the room. The family, looking to him, as he walked past the portraits to Thunderbird One's route to the hanger, had barely managed a word between them. Shell-shocked was the word that immediately sprang to mind, the haunted look of a soldier returned home with no faculties left to appreciate the home comforts. His rock, his grandmother had silent tears staining her cheeks, her water-shod eyes pleading with him to bring them home. Parker fists balled, finding John's carpet trail a well worn comfort. Kayo shaking off Penelope's instinct to pull her into an embrace. Brains hovered silently, his orange jumpsuit lighting the room, but his usual off-the-cuff, talk as you think, quick fix, was missing. Virgil feared failed mission controller had taken over their troubleshooting operative. He knew Brains well enough to know he would regroup his thoughts, he would return with something, throwing him and the family a lifeline, just as he always did.

Virgil felt regret, regret that his first instinct had been to give into the anger raging in his system. He inhaled, closed his eyes and exhaled slowly; Scott had reacted, with only a split second to make the decision, as they all would have done. All of the other unhealthy emotions whirling around in parts of his body that should have no connection to each other, held their foundations in one, fear, and fear was a place he would not be willingly be led. If he was taking the lead in this he would not allow them to see anything from him but positive actions. Lastly, his eyes rested on Alan, he had not in a long time seen him look so vulnerable and lost. His blue eyes were still pinned to the middle ground, waiting for Scott to return. Sweat glistened on his brow and his grey colouring drained him of life. Virgil knew he had no choice but to leave those injured to the care of the others but he was a man driven by a nurturing instinct and seeing Alan like this was ripping him in two.

He grounded his focus to the tactile, the lamps in his hand that brought him back to his job, Field Command. The instinct to pause, pull the family he was leaving into a hug, was stalled in favour of flying to his brothers. There was no doubt in his mind that was what they needed to see. There was nothing he could do for those at home but to catch up with those in the air, they equally would be lost to the shock of the last few minutes. They all needed their symbolic flagship to take the lead, albeit without the usual hands at her controls. There was nothing surer in his mind than those at home would rally behind those in the air once the comms started rattling. He rolled his hands around columns of the lamps, took a deep breath and found his voice which to he surprise was controlled, steady and did not let him down by betraying any emotion.

"Grandma, make sure the medical scans of the patients are sent hourly to Brains. Any change Parker and you pick up the family practitioner in Wellington. Kayo I trust you to look after Al but I'm not sure you count yourself as a patient. So you make this easy for them, both of you, if you're tired you rest. If you notice any change in your condition or you're in pain you speak up. We have enough to think about without you two worrying us unnecessarily."

He pulled down hard on the lamps and with all the authority he could muster declared, "We're bringing them both home …Thunderbird One is go"

…..

For Gordon the first thirty or so minutes of ride had been all kinds of weird, the main one being the unusual quiet in the cockpit. A familiar environment, with the birds natural hum, but instead of vocal optimism of his brother it had been accompanied by John's improvised percussion as his fingers frustratingly tapped the side of the co-pilots chair. John had been struggling to leave his usual role to Brains since launch; they had barely cleared the island when he had started his bypass of mission control in favour of covert communication with EOS. His own team hastily pulled back together, probably for sanity's sake. Gordon couldn't blame him; much as he loved his red-headed brother he missed his raven haired partner in crime and comedy by his side. This was the part of any mission that he and Virgil came into their own, they talked sport, girls, had a bird-off, ribbed a non-present brother. They had learnt over the years the brain needed transporting to come back firing on all cylinders when focus was needed. John it seemed preferred a silence, or updates from Five. Several times Gordon had tried to break in on an update from the colonel or EOS, only for John to furiously wave his hand to a quieten him. John then returned, gave a matter of fact update that in reality updated nothing. John would then break the deadened air by returning to the rhythmic tapping of his fingers. He had tried Ridley as a topic of conversation, getting very little detail back for his trouble. He had even gone for the guaranteed, or so he thought, response by divulging that he fully expected to marry Penny within the year. It brought a smile, congratulations in the form of a slap on the shoulder, then a far away stare out of the cockpit window. This was John, participant at distance and after forty minutes in the air Gordon had had enough. He tilted the bird 45 degrees then brought her back to level, with little reaction than an irritated disruption to the rhythm of his fingers. He then pulled her up into a steep climb before levelling out again, seconds later taking an unnatural descent in a sharp nose dive. If Virgil was monitoring them from the ring he would take all shit he would throw at him, if it got John out of his self imposed protective shell.

"Gordon what the fuck you doing? Maniac!" John chided while his knuckles whitened grasping the side of his seat.

"Waking you up spaceboy." Gordon retorted with a cock-sure grin.

It was at that precise moment that Scott had briefly broken into their domain, only to be extinguished within seconds. Gordon stared at John for a few moments his mouth agape, with no words to express the sense of horror as Scott's holographic form dissipated and his words cut out. The feeling of dread intensifying as both Brains and John failed to reach him in the seconds after. Gordon had never witnessed the little colour his brother held naturally drain completely before. He wondered if this was a side to John's experience on Five. There had been multiple times when they were briefly off comms in the middle of a rescue. The physical tell of the shock did not manifest itself in inactivity though. Gordon looked on in admiration as a second was barely allowed to pass before he sent a barrage of instructions through to EOS. For Gordon, all that was left for him to do was to hold the yoke like his life depended on it. By default the big green flying lump became something physical within his control, and a substitute for the big, green-sashed, lump of a brother that he wished was at the side of him. He searched his brain for something in the realms of appropriate and positive to fill the silence, and for once in the life of Gordon Tracy in mission mode, he had nothing.

"Scott will be fine Gordo." John placated, while pulling up every scrap of data Five was throwing at him.

"I know." Gordon confirmed with as much conviction as he could muster.

He hoped he had gotten away with it as they both re-orientated their vision to the scanner showing Thunderbird One in the air and levelling out en-route to overtake them in the skies.

"Virgil will catch us up within the half hour. Fancy taking the controls, you could do with the practice. If I'm launching Four, it'll be nice to know you can hold her steady." It was the best he had, a cheap shot at his brother but selfishly or not, he needed to be in the banter zone.

John laughed, not heartily, no merriment but it was there, "Steadier than you."

Gordon grinned in return, John knew what he needed, and although it may go against his every instinct, he was delivering just a little, just for him.

"Not a competition." Boomed a deep voice over the comms.

"Virgil," two voices greeted their brother.

"Heading straight to the locator, you should arrive about 10 minutes behind me, I'll buzz you on the flypast. Now we have a firm location for the base Casey has received permission to deploy ground troops, Special Forces. GDF want to lock it down until they can send a team of experts in. John once the main comms centre is identified and any threat neutralized by the troops, you head there and work your magic. Anything you find you hand over to Brains before liaising with the GDF. If dad's there, I promise you, I will have already have found him before you set foot on Norwegian soil. Until we hear from Scott that is the mission brief."

"FAB Field Commander." John smiled.

Virgil switched from audio to join them in the cockpit of Two, "You two OK?"

"Uh huh." Gordon responded.

"You?" John deflected.

"Be better when Scotty pings us a visual. But if dad's not in Norway when we get there, then Scott's with him. Touching distance you know, something about that is the best news I've had since we got a signal for Kayo. He'll break free when he can; he knows how long it'll take us to reach his marker. We'll hear from him, he's just biding his time." Virgil reassured the others.

"Looks like you won't be shaking your Thunderbird ass as bait." Gordon chortled.

He had been more relieved to see his cockpit buddy than he would ever admit to. Even when they were chatting about this over a beer he would keep this little part of the story to himself. He'd had that beer in his head since he and John had taken to the skies. The five of them, sat in their fathers office like the good old days, with him sat behind his desk just as he should be and them having to persuade him that Alan was indeed now old enough to be handed a cold one. It was the last laugh he and John had shared as the launch sequence had been underway. Their father adjusting to life, near to two years on, finding out his youngest had become a man in his absence. He was still riding that roller coaster, optimism replaced despair only for him to ride over the high and feel his stomach in his boots again.

"Shame. Looking forward to twerking my stuff for the drones and kinda nice to be baiting them in Scott's bird." Virgil responded with a laugh and a wink.

Gordon laughed hard, perhaps a little over-zealously but this was what he had missed.

…

Silence hung around the ring after the roar of Thunderbird One was muffled by distance. Brains hung in mid air, redundant without instruction, not certain whether he should stay within the family or work on the problem on Five to return when he had something tangible. The problem was whirring around, Scott's enforced silence over the airwaves in a cloaked vessel.A catch 22, he had a solution, make Shadow work for them, she had two drones on board and they would communicate with their sisters as per set protocol. If they were active they'd have his location, but with no comms and no way of letting of letting Scott know what he needed... And if they could communicate with him, there was no need for a solution, there was no problem to solve. Company was never his ideal for breaking down a problem to its elemental parts. He cast his eyes around the de-energised room, his thoughts taking on the form of a merry-go-round. What they needed was for Scott to remember their mechs held a programme allowing a relationship with their sisters. All he had to do was activate them in their cradles. He pushed his glasses up his nose. Scott must still be within the triangulated area,…that was it. Eureka! With a little creative thinking he could remote activate them. Without word to the others he terminated his presence at the island in favour of mission control for the brothers he could see on the holographic representation of the earth, and a little help from an AI that had not let him down yet.

Penelope watched Brain's orange glow fade without a word and was the first to break silence. "Scott's taking a covert ride not staging a take-over, and I think we can hazard a guess at its destination." She got to her feet heading towards the office "Time to make sure our two colonels are briefed and are expecting their arrival at Parkmoor."

Kayo's eyes watched her friend leave, then fell on the matriarch's, her eyes darkened, her brow furrowed into ridges as she cast a look she couldn't read towards her. Alan too, broke from the desolate centre-ground and held his gaze with hers, he looked defeated. Kayo sank back into the couch, hurting physically, but clinging onto that pain as a comforter. It was easier to bear than the one ripping her heart in two. Of course she would do the same thing again, she had reluctantly given Scott what he needed to hear and she would be reminding him of it when he hauled his ass home. If those pinning her in their sights thought for one second she held enough sway over him to stop his impulsiveness they were kidding themselves. If they thought for one minute he was asking permission then they were delusional. Scott never asked for permission, what he needed was their backing. And she had given it, despite the fact it went against all her instincts to keep the man she loved safe. She had known he was going anyway and that had made it easy for her. She knew enough about the family members in the room to know that using that argument would not help them. What they needed was to play their part, no matter how small, hell, she needed to do something. She mulled it over, there had to be something they could distract themselves with while waiting for noise to fill the room.

Then it hit her, only a location had been delivered to Virgil. Maybe they could prise a little more from there prisoner, more about the man she had unwisely sided with and the base she had flown from. It was worth a shot, she braved a glance to meet the eyes of her brother. This was harder on him, left out of the direct action and the injury keeping him from that action had been solely down to saving her. She owed him something, and in her opinion he was best placed to take the punt.

Kayo found her voice, "Parker, would you help Al back to medical?"

Alan pushed his crutches to the floor. "I'm not going anywhere! And you can't make me. I'm staying put until we here from Scott."

Kayo walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, aware now that her grandmother's eyes followed her and a look of sympathy from her blonde friend that had returned to the room.

She made sure her voice was loud enough for them all to hear but left Alan in no doubt she was speaking to him. "We have to leave them to it. But what if we could give them something Alan? We have a resource barely tapped and our input may…."

Aware her legs were starting to let her down, she walked around the side of the seat and sat next to her youngest brother.

"Alan, we have direct access to a primary witness and we don't know now how long we have her for. She's been in that facility."

She turned towards the blue eyes of her friend to engage the two pronged attack, "Penelope, I do not think for one minute she will willingly help _us_ , if I go anywhere near her she will clam up and probably try to rip my face off. We both witnessed her behaviour at dinner, and to be honest Penny, Grandma, her reaction to us was prickly at best. Who apart from Virgil did she seem most comfortable with?"

The elder woman caught her eye. "Alan."

Kayo felt her brother relax at the side of her, she took his hand, "Then, all I am suggesting Al, is that you try to get her to relax in conversation with you. Get what you can. Details Alan, layout, defences, anything she saw. Let's not expect revelations, but she will know things that will help Scott and the others if you can coax it out. If she knows the location of dad within the facility we can send Virgil straight there."

She turned to her friend, "Penelope, ask Brains for the recording of the conversation taken from the med bay when Virgil spoke to her."

She switched back to her brother, a brother that had at no point complained of pain but his face, on closer inspection, told a very different story. If he bit his lip any harder he would draw blood, sweat beaded on his brow. Psychologically, one small job was the right way to go, but then a sleeping draft. He would probably never forgive her, but he was running on fumes and the medical bay had been her designated responsibility when Virgil had saved her from crumbling in the hangar.

"Alan, listen to the recording before you go in. Use anything you can to your advantage. When you have her ear, probe. Small steps then retreat to safe ground if necessary. You won't go in alone, Parker will be with you."

"You think she's really gonna help us?" Alan laboured, while trying to mask the pain.

"We have to try. We can't lose our last opportunity to speak with her." She turned to Penelope, "The colonel confirmed the transport?"

"We have time, all eyes on Europe for the time being, Catherine's transport is not priority." Penelope confirmed. "They are however making plans to storm the location; a small force of ground troops have been re-deployed from the Berlin. Other resources are concentrating on the transportation of your uncle to a secure location. Maitland has finally talked some sense into them, let's just hope it's not too late. A wave of drones has started to converge on the facility, no signs of air support from Catherine's friend as yet."

Kayo ignored the link to the ship Scott was taking a ride on. For the moment it was those in the air, Brain's in orbit and the five that were left behind. Her head was now splitting with pain, but her heart had been wrapped protectively in a contrived brief. It may deliver nothing, but she needed it and so did every one of them in the room. She would make her own way to medical before joining them outside the prisoners room, one less thing for Virgil to worry about,"Then we use our time with our house-guest wisely."

Grandma got to her feet. "I'll make a tray up, If Parker you would be so kind to take it down with my grandson. The scanner on the door has been set to your retinal profile."

"I'll 'elp you." Parker confirmed and got to his feet.

Alan looked at the blonde and brunette "You sure this is worth it? Rather be here just in case."

"In case of what Al? We have to face facts were trapped here with nothing to do. Let's make what we can do count for something." Kayo countered.

"We could head up to Five? Must be more we can do up there?" Alan suggested, his desperation clear. She had offered something but it wasn't enough.

"Hey, I'm no Virgil Al, but we both know enough to know that our bodies are in no fit state. And we'll achieve nothing hanging out in the ring. Five's out for the both of us, so we focus on what we can do, even if it is frustratingly little. Al, she met dad. Start there." Kayo responded softly, her hand finding his.

Alan patted it and raised his frame from the couch to stand.

Penelope retrieved the crutches from the floor and walked over to support him, "We'll get a head start on the caterers. We can do nothing for Scott at the moment but we can try to help Virgil, John and Gordon. We still have an hour before they get to the locator Scott fired off, if you want to come back here then you have my word."

"Penny before you see her, take Al to his room to listen to the recording, his meds are ready to go, oral dose, grey cabinet. You make sure he takes them." Kayo instructed.

Kayo watched Parker leave the kitchen with a tray, her Grandmother hadn't followed, and she owed her an apology for the way she delivered her agreement to Scott without a thought for including her.

Kayo rounded the breakfast bar and witnessed her grandmother clasping the stool to steady herself, "Hey Grandma."

"Kayo."

"You know that stubborn ass grandson of yours was going through with it anyway right? I'm sorry but he left me with nowhere to go"

The elder woman looked at her, lips drawn in a tight line portraying nothing "His father's son that's for sure, stubbornness is a Tracy trait." She allowed a smile to curl at the edges before continuing to address her granddaughter "Don't like it one bit, anytime they go silent on a mission I think I've heard from them for the last time. I know he had little choice but…."

Kayo placed her arms round her grandmother's waist and placed her chin on her shoulder, allowing her to hide her face from her but pinning her in physical contact.

The elder woman sighed, "I have been hiding a secret too, Kayo. And I just hope that the boys will forgive me."


	43. Chapter 43

Ch43

On Thunderbird Five the Tracy's resident scientist was mentally kicking himself for his short-sightedness. He had given Gordon the kit required to receive a signal to find a location. Not for sending a signal to activate the two sister-drones on Thunderbird shadow that would pinpoint her movements for the family. All he had needed to do was to have configured the rig to do both and they would have been home free, had the eyes they so desperately needed. In solving only one problem without taking a natural progressive step to future-proof the use of the technology, he had cost them valuable time. Floating around in the command centre wasn't helping either, his stomach had a natural predisposition to protest in Zero-G but when he had made a mistake costing everybody he cared about so much, it was all he could do to swallow down the bile and concentrate on a solution, because there had to be one. He was irritated enough, without the constant clicking and whirring of a fractious accomplice. For Brains it was like working with a petulant child, but it was his only option. He could have sworn if he didn't know better that every time she had uttered his name she had used it with the heavy edge of sarcasm. But AI's couldn't do sarcasm could they? They were programmed to deliver the facts, and surely had no concept of hindsight.

"A transceiver would have been of more use on the rig now you want to shift its use." EOS trilled for the second time, as Brains floated round the giant globe in front of him. He was now wondering if he had the capacity to think this through while concentrating on not vomiting.

Brains sighed, "B…but we only n…needed to pick up a signal EOS."

"And now, _Brains_ …Now our need has changed. How are we going to activate the drones without being able to send one?" EOS responded, her light display tingeing pink, which according to the manual John had left him, meant she needed careful handling. If the hue got any closer to red on the spectrum, he was in serious trouble.

Brains looked directly into the lens, still certain he was being judged as nothing short of a moron, "I was h…hoping you would be able to help me with that one."

"A simple adjustment to the rig." EOS stated matter-of-factly.

"I dread to think of their r…reaction if I ask them to divert to the rigs to make another a…adjustment." _Did EOS just sigh_?

"John would be, what is it he would use? 'Thinking outside the box' and the solution as far as I can tell is to break a few rules. Brains, you have to tell me what rules to break."

Brains studied the map, Thunderbird One was making good progress, nearly in the wake of Two, he needed to give them something, "Rules are made to be broken, science would never progress if they weren't." Brains replied, not really certain if that would be enough or if he was supposed to be specific. Giving her a definite instruction may be a little hard; he had no clue where she was going with her suggestion. He just had a feeling that whatever she had in mind would save time and distress for the Tracy's casting moving blips in front of him on the globe.

"Even one that carries a jail term?" EOS questioned.

"Yes, EOS…. We have to give them s…something. Do what you have to do."

"I would prefer it if it came from you. If John finds out I have suggested hijacking GDF communications to send a signal of our own….."

"EOS you're a g…genius." Brains complimented.

"I know, _Brains_ ," EOS replied smugly, "If this works without our little hack being noticed, then this is my idea when you tell John. If we have some explaining to do to the GDF, then please remember I don't exist." EOS responded with a voice Brains could have sworn was decorated with a smile. "Brains, do I have permission to hack the GDF facility in Scotland and send out signal."

"You need p…permission from me?" Brains questioned, a small smile creeping on his face.

"Any systems hack has to be sanction by John," EOS confirmed, "As you are trying your very best to be John, your permission will ensure that his protocol has not been breached."

"Start the h…hack and as soon as you have access to their s…systems, send the s…signal out. Let's see if we can pinpoint Scott and give the boys some news."

"F-A-B." EOS chirruped in response, "and Brains."

"EOS?"

Her light display flickered between the usual white and a bright yellow, "take your pills. The last time you went that colour I needed a deep clean."

….

Kayo had never seen tears spring up in her grandmothers eyes be given into so easily. Whatever burden she was carrying it had reached the surface and the gates were now open. She waited, noticed her grandmother's hands shaking and took them in her own as she turned her to face her. The words would come, but for now she didn't want to push. Her face was ashen; she looked in complete shock and although Kayo needed her to talk, she knew there was still the small matter of her processing her grandson's disappearance. She allowed the silence, patting her hand as her own thoughts were torn between a woman close to breaking point, her injured brother and her own pain at the continued silence from Scott. If she could only split herself three ways, give everyone something that they needed, and selfishly, herself, time to babysit the comms on the off-chance. She had to content herself that Alan had Penelope and Parker, and that her other brothers would be in touch if they so much as heard a sneeze from Scott. No, she couldn't look rushed, race to the comms or find out exactly what Catherine knew. She would stay here for as long as it took to get her grandmother to unburden herself from what was obviously eating her up inside.

"Sit down, I'll make tea. I'm here if you need to talk, if not I'll keep you company." Kayo instructed, letting go of her hands with a final pat before giving a light squeeze to her grandmother's shoulder.

The gentle nudge was enough to start "I spoke to Jeff the night he went missing."

Kayo continued to make the tea, allowing the space for the continuation without redirecting the conversation.

"As you are aware he was trailing the new prototype. TB Cormorant, Plane to seaworthy craft, obviously a much larger scale than FAB1 but it would give Gordon more scope to stage a rescue if a call came in when TB2 was out." Her grandmother continued, her voice far removed from normal, barely a whisper as her memories took her far away from her recent reality.

Kayo allowed the back-track to into the shelved Cormorant project, fully aware that sometimes a step back was needed before a step forward could be taken. And it seemed to Kayo that her speaking to Jeff that night was the crux of the issue, but she refused to take her there until she was ready. She set two mugs of tea on the counter and pulled out a stool for her to sit on before taking one next to her and nursing her mug in silence.

"Cormorant was a great idea in principle, but without admitting what went wrong Brains was not prepared to resurrect the idea." Her grandmother continued to reminisce, before blowing into her tea and setting it back down. Patting Kayo's hand, she gave a smile with as much energy as her voice had managed. Nothing more than a gesture to show she was grateful that she was allowed to take this at her own pace. "Weather was closing in the Southern Indian Ocean. I told him to come back home and he laughed," she raised her eyes to catch her granddaughters, Kayo noted the tears were being beaten back, but there was still a glassy sheen covering them, "you know him, darned if a ship he was prepared to send his son out in wasn't going be tested by a battering from the elements. Then he picked up a signal from the GDF on the tail of your uncle, the first sighting after the Saint Clement nano tech facility was compromised. I knew he would join them. He considered he had every chance of holding them up for Casey."

Kayo took the opportunity to steer her gently, details coming as the memories allowed, the timeline blurring as she tried to piece it together. With just the mention of her uncle, she needed facts, needed to orientate the words coming from her grandmother into some sort of order. "I had thought John was the only one talking to dad that night? Why did neither of you mention my uncle?" Kayo questioned gently, "John didn't mention dad's detour." She added.

"One of my heads was keeping me up, something … I don't know Kayo, it wasn't just a headache, I had this feeling I needed to speak to him. So, I sent John for some rest. There was nothing at that point to warrant concern; Casey hadn't contacted him when I dismissed John. Otherwise I know he would have monitored the Cormorant until she made it home. The weather was of no concern while Cormorant was submerged. I was on audio comms only, just chatting with my boy, trying to settle myself that this feeling of foreboding I had was just an old woman's fantasy. Then Jeff confirmed the GDF's communications."

"Grandma, what happened?" Kayo probed gently, "John and Scott shared the data readouts, location, status, after you raised the household, but there is no mayday recording between Cormorant and the Island."

The elder woman turned towards her, before taking a sip of tea and continuing. Once the floodgates were open, the unburdening had started; she wanted every detail out in the open. "He'd taken the decision to leave the water, take the search better from the skies, he said. I told him to wait the weather out, but he had the bit between his teeth any mention of your uncle and …well he wanted rid of him. And as this theft could be pinned on him, game over, he would never bother you again. There would be no need to divulge the nature of your relationship to the boys. He was sure he'd cut him off before the west coast of Australia. As he surfaced he was hit by a rogue wave. The panic in his voice I will never forget as the water breached the craft.… and then the comms cut out."

"Grandma where's the recoding." Kayo responded keeping her voice as neutral as possible. The fact her father's last known act had been to try to ensure she didn't have to face her maniac of her uncle again, tore her heart to shreds. If only she hadn't insisted she never wanted her brothers to know her blood-link to a madman hell-bent on making Jeff and his family pay for taking her away. She felt the sting of tears in her own eyes.

Her grandmother sighed, a tear made its way down her cheek, "I woke Brains and had him delete it from the record here and on Five before I woke the boys. Then I did the unforgivable and didn't tell them. I could have given them my reasons and sent them out there on a recovery mission but I needed it to be a rescue mission… for me and them. And I didn't want them hearing his voice like that." She brushed the tear from her cheek, then one from her granddaughters, "Kayo I'm afraid I judged that his goodbye from the Island was a better memory for them. I had no right."

Kayo stood and wrapped her grandmother in her arms, surprised as she sank into her shoulder, "You did what you thought was right at the time," she placated, "You went with your gut, with seconds to make the decision."

Her grandmother continued to talk into her shoulder, "all the evidence pointed to the fact that it was the last time I would hear from him. I was doing it for Jeff and the boys; I knew he wouldn't want them to have to hear his voice as the ship took on water. I honestly thought that I was doing a last favour for him. Keeping that from them was the only control I had, and I was certain at the time it was the right call."

"Not now?" Kayo questioned, struggling to keep the grief from her voice, "I think you had good reason for your actions. And if Brains thought for one minute you were being selfish he would have refused to delete the transmission from Five's data banks."

"At the time Kayo, but afterwards, sending you and those boys out day after day in false hope. John, Kayo, I did that to him. I will never forgive myself for the blame he shouldered in the aftermath … Kayo … I have to tell them, and I deserve not to be forgiven."

"Then you tell them with dad and he will wholeheartedly support your decision. You know that in your heart, grandma. And there is no need to tell them until we have him home. They will forgive you."

"I will never forgive myself, Kayo. As long as I live I will never forgive myself my actions in those few minutes." She straightened herself and cupped her granddaughters chin, "Kayo, I got the same feeling with Scotty just then. Another impulsive action is going get one of my boys killed."

"Dad's not dead, Grandma." Kayo added defiantly finding strength to her voice, "they are both coming home. Scott will make sure you don't lose him a second time. When have you known his gut to be off?" Kayo added, kissing her grandmothers cheek.

Her grandmother nodded, "guilt coupled with grief and fear is a damnable cross to bear kiddo."

"Language Grandma." Kayo scolded in jest. "Fear can work for you and as for guilt? Release it. You don't need it as there is nothing to forgive. But if you need it, then I forgive you. And the others will too, in a heartbeat. They needed to think he was out there grandma. If we had listened to that recording, I dread to think of the repercussions."

"Enough!" The elder composed her features, "I will deal with my demons when I have to, for now we have a job to do." She drained her mug and adopted a 'back to the business of the day' posture, as she cleared both mugs to the sink. Kayo watched the evidence of a deep breath being taken with her back to her.

"Then, we stick together. Let's head to medical, and see what we can deliver. "Kayo encouraged linking her grandmother's arm.

…

Catherine watched the three man circus milling outside her room. The perky adolescent blond with an addiction to adrenaline was the first to enter, supported by crutches. He was followed by a manservant carrying a tray but the icy stare of Ice Queen remained at the porthole. She had been left to her own devices for hours and she had been certain the next entrant to the room would be Virgil, with a welcoming party in full fatigues aiming a weapon in her face. It seemed Virgil Tracy was true to his word, until they had their father back she belonged to them, and they would be looking after the basics. The man barely concealing a snarl set the tray down and helped the washed-out teen into a chair, leaving her time to wonder if Virgil would ever come back to the cell. Whatever brought them here en-masse to gawp at her like the main exhibit in a freak show, she could only guess? As far as she was concerned she had given them what they had asked for. And the details she had given them was all she had, she smiled and quickly redacted it with one look from the elder man. If they thought for one minute she was anything more than a cargo pilot for human traffic they were giving her more credit than she was due.

The waft of the food hit her nostrils; she was staving but damned to hell if she was going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that they had her showing any weakness. She took the tray and pushed the food around her plate, while watching the older man take sentry position at the door. That left her with the decidedly nervous kid, Alan if she remembered correctly; she could almost smell the stench of fear coming off him. She placed a forkful into her mouth, grateful for something to hide behind; she'd had worse and had better. Her stomach now demanded more than the taster she had offered it. She refrained from stuffing another in, placed her fork down and pinned her eyes to the woman at the door. The Ice Queen was distracted, possibly receiving instruction in her ear from Virgil. She noted a hand placed to her ear. In lieu of clarification, she returned to the food until the silence was broken. She expected the Ice Queen to enter but was surprised by the voice of the younger.

"Erm …. Thank you for talking to Virgil." The boy started hesitantly.

Catherine started scooping up the food into her mouth, watching the frustration in one pair of eyes at the door and puzzlement in the second, seated in front of her.

Penelope whispered her encouragement in Alan's earpiece. "Excellent manners Alan but I think we can dispense with the pleasantries with this house guest."

Alan turned to look at the blond at the door, before continuing. "We need to know what my brothers will face. I want a plan of the facility and what defences they can expect when they get there."

Catherine smiled showing him partially chewed food before she swallowed hard and grabbed a drink to wash it down. "An army Alan, a god damned army. Anything else?"

"Numbers, weaponary, layout. Sure you know the drill. We hadn't figured on my brother's walking blind into the facility, where are they keeping my father? The more help you give us the better for you when the colonel arrives."

"Couldn't have put it better myself Alan." Penelope coached into the earpiece. "Tell Catherine that she is bartering for a reduced term. Life without parole as opposed to chance of life with, if she co-operates."

Alan recounted the offer wondering if they had the authority to offer such a deal, his head was fuzzy from the recent dose of painkillers, his skin still burning hot until they fully kicked in and his leg was now throbbing from the burst of activity. But he added without prompt, "I would think about it if I were you."

Catherine turned her attention to the door, two more sets of eyes had joined the blond at the porthole. One with the look of murder in them, her nemesis had come to watch the sideshow. Still, as much as she would have loved to have turned the screw, the chance of parole could not be discounted so easily, she was still relatively young after all.

Catherine shrugged and returned her eyes to the boy who was struggling to regulate his breathing. She couldn't quite believe that the bitches hiding at the door had sent in an injured boy to do their dirty work. "Haven't much to tell, my access was limited to a viewing gallery, the cells and The Mechanic's private quarters."

"So tell me about those," Alan requested gently.

"Can't see how that would be of use." Catherine snarled back.

"Try me."

Catherine started to feel sorry for the young boy with the large blue eyes that was trying his darndest to keep it together, "There are large numbers of faceless goons, all working a conveyor on level two just below the hanger, The Mechanic oversaw them from his mezzanine containing an office and his quarters. Cells were at level 5, just the one prisoner. I have no idea about any other areas or defences, everyone carried weapons but I should think the perimeter will be rigged on breach. They blindfolded me on the way to the airfield, so never saw the exterior."

"Anything else?" Alan prompted.

"It's just a facility to get as many of the new drones available for The Hood for after his transport as possible, I think. Nothing more that I could see, if there was a command centre I didn't see it."

Alan struggled to contain his involuntary gasp at the mention of The Hood. Penelope, entered no longer prepared to leave him on his own with her stoic sidekick; she placed her gentle hand on his shoulder. Giving it a little squeeze, it was nothing they hadn't expected. She knew for Alan it was just the shock of the name spoken out loud and his now certain connection to their father's disappearance. If she didn't know better she would swear the woman had added that name to affirm who she was affiliated with. Using the name as a badge of honour. Penelope and Catherine both swung round as the door to the room swung open with brute force. Penelope stood like stone as the murderous eyes thundered towards their guest, fists balled heading straight for her. Penelope knew it was the name of her uncle that had made her lose her cool, and she started a slow walk towards her friend. Catherine threw the tray towards her aggressor which missed Penelope by inches, and did little to deflect the hostile action.

"You'd better talk and talk fast." Kayo spat her wrath. "Everything you know linked to The Hood and the mass production of those mechs. You clam up now and you are about to have a terrible accident. What do they want with my father! And what is their target. They have not kept him for nearly two years to enjoy his company." Kayo added, the venom not dissipating.

Catherine smiled at her, "you give me too much credit, thanks for your confidence in my abilities but I'm not privy to their plans." She laughed, "But he was certainly itching to get his craft in the air, the snarling Brit reined him back. If you tell me what day it is I can hazard as guess as to whether the underground assistance is in place for The Hood's retrieval. Oh and if they have hit that phase, then all drones are secured in his craft. He won't leave his babies behind; they belong to him not The Hood and his henchmen. And expect the unexpected," Catherine added smugly "he will count human losses on his side as collateral damage now his army is built, it's the Hoods manpower, not his. We were very much the hired help, but The Mechanic won't play second fiddle to him for long."

Penelope shot a look to Kayo "It's a collection service; they are not just breaking him out and leaving him to make his own way like the others. I'll wager Scott is over Parkmoor as we speak. We get the GDF on the ground to assist before our boys get there. Parker brief Brains, and take Alan to medical for a check up. I need to warn Maitland and the colonel, their contingency may not be enough, and if he has that sort of weaponry at his disposal they will use theirs. Kayo you are coming with me?"

Kayo crashed a fist into a palm, "Rather stay here and get some more finite details." She looked towards the door and caught her grandmother's eye, without any a vocal plea she knew her silent demand and allowed Penelope to take her arm and lead her out of the room.

"Kayo, with Scott attached to the top of that thing we need to act. We need to brief your brothers, forget Norway for now; we set our sights on Parkmoor. He won't have left Jeff behind. Scott was right. Jeff's on the ship, there is no question in my mind. Human collateral damage is one thing, but they need their prisoner. And if the British get sights on that craft, then they will attack. I need to plead with the PM to hold fire, if that thing uncloaks above that facility they have missiles primed and ready for launch. Scott and your father will become their own collateral damage."


	44. Chapter 44

Ch44

Scott had allowed only a brief glance backwards as the giant craft rose gracefully into the hazy Norwegian morning sky. He was aware that as much as Shadow was pinned physically to her outer frame, he was clinging emotionally to a niggling half-chance that lay in the belly of the beast. A hasty action contrived because of a feeling that had, on numerous occasions over the years, been laughingly referred to by his brothers as his gut. This was not the time or the place for sanity's sake to doubt it now, but if he was off, then he had just left a man behind. He steeled his watering eyes to the front of the canopy that was protecting him from the world outside and swallowed hard. Lost in thought his hand wandered instinctively to his utility and his father's USAF astronaut badge that he had carried there since the day they had decided to carry on International Rescue without him. Without realising his need, he kissed it and apologised for his all too easy compartmentalisation of the facts, right now he had to think of him as 'just a man' in need of rescue. Any step into the reality of the situation and the, until recently, unbreakable Scott Tracy would slump into the cockpit and crack beyond all recognition. He took the breaths required to stave off the panic, coaching himself though the basics, the need to allow a steady, controlled provision of oxygen. His thumb grazed the shooting star in the centre of the badge, that to his eye seemed to pierce the gravity ring of Thunderbird Five, before he placed the item back where it belonged, until the hands of the owner claimed it from him.

His eyes, that had looked through the purplish hue in front, rather than studied it, rested on the sky. There was an 'other worldly' quality to the washed out sky above him, hues were stifled, a watercolour to the vibrant oil that should paint the orange tinted canvas above. The haze, no doubt down to the shields keeping him from the contact he'd just lost with his brothers, an invisible barrier to the faces he was desperate to see in the cockpit beside him. The entrance into his mind of the others, one by one delivering a smile had him desperately flicking the comms switch; the hostile crackle confirmed his singleton status. He raised his eyes to the heavens in silent prayer, the ever present companion for those that chose to find it and it had been a while since he had sought it. The Tracy's rode their luck, the big man, or woman, if there was one, had chosen to save their bacon on more occasions that he could count. Now he hoped they had something up their vestments saved for now. That, good-deeds did in fact count for something and they were owed a swift and successful conclusion to two weeks living in hell. For a vocal none-believer, he had bargained with the heavens in more situations than he would admit to. As sure as he was that his personal copy book would undoubtedly be blotted, surely all the lives saved by the organisation counted for something. The sky above seemed to nod its agreement as sun's rays sparkled on the shield above, a few penetrating to bounce off his personal glass shield. He felt a rumble beneath, Shadows frame shook and although his tiny piece of home was stagnant, the craft below shifted trajectory and speed.

He sat in the cockpit mulling over his options, there had to be access hatches on the ship, but that gut of his was holding him to his seat. Telling him he had missed the obvious, without it linking to his brain to deliver the epiphany. His instinct was to find a way in; a wing-walk while the craft beneath hit full thrust over the North Sea seemed the logical first step. As he raised the cockpit glass his gut cried ' _hold fast Tracy…think_!' and then 'don't _run before you can walk Scotty boy_ ', allowing his brain to catch up. There may be no comms getting in or out, but that didn't stop him from running scans of the craft from Shadow. A walk on the wild-side would certainly be easier if he had some intel. He'd just have to interpret the findings without EOS or John evaluating his assessment of the facts. He considered the risks, it may alert the crew below to his presence, but if they were not expecting a limpet-like stowaway, they may dismiss it as an anomaly or interference. If he was quick enough his scans would be complete before any console within blinked a warning. As Shadow commenced scanning the hull for a way in, it hit him, the obvious had been staring him in the face. They may have missed the launch of the second wave sent out in Norway, but they were in all likelihood still the air on the same frequency, he may not be able to talk to his brothers, but may be able to see him. He flicked the switch, the drones would remain idle in their cradles but they would pulsing their own signal. Five would see their icons when they communicated with the drones on their return and there would be something on the giant globe that Brains would identify as Shadow.

Before he could process the schematics on Shadow's console, the ship beneath him decelerated. He had no idea where he was while the shield above made his GPS redundant but they had taken a hop skip and jump, and his now talkative gut screamed England. Reminding him that there was only one person who had to be behind this, that this new threat had to be wrapped the last taunting words Kayo had heard from her uncle at Matteo Island. As a betting man he liked the big stakes and he'd stake Thunderbird One on the fact they were now hovering over or close to Parkmoor.

….

Jeff's attention was split two ways, one eye drawn to the noise, bustle and sensory overload watching the back of the man in front cast his arms to the air like a conductor during a grand finale. His other studied the console, if he was going to get a charge into the system, avionics was his best option. He just had to decipher the console, dismiss comms, meteorological function and other non-essential components to keeping the big bird in the air. He trailed along the track again trying to match the function of the man in front with the light display on the console. Comms open with his ground troops and the left hand sided blinked intermittently. Jeff tracked right slowly, aware that his counterpart may also have an eye on more than what was in front of him. A grainy image drew his attention; he watched footage captivated, a concrete building, similar to the old Pentagon building but hexagonal. It wasn't the aesthetics of the building that drew his attention but what was mounted on her roof. If he'd have thought he could have got away with cheerleading every missile that downed one of the insect-like mechanical army before they inflicted any damage, without an excruciating charge raging through his nerve endings, he would have championed them at the top of his lungs. His heart raced with the thunderous hooves of thoroughbreds, the console soon forgotten as the vision in front became compulsive viewing. The half-cocked, half-a-chance plan to down the craft with his nemesis onboard sidelined for a front row seat.

The rate that 'plan B' was going for his surprisingly calm adversary and he'd be clean out of weapons within minutes, Jeff couldn't resist a grin. He reviewed the man, considering his loses he was remarkably calm, there were no flailing arms, no hasty pulling of an ally to the comms to bark orders, or haranguing of his crew below to release tension. Jeff took a deep breath as he tried to interpret the scene, an outburst would have settled the voyeur, all evidence pointed to plans in disarray but the measured reaction was foreboding. As if taking his eyes away from the footage would send the odds in the favour of struggling swarm, Jeff was now hypnotised.

The voice when it came was clinical, delivered by a man who most definitely felt in control. He brought forth his human army to the top right corner of the holo-screen, the attack force, attaching lines to a rig above as the instruction rang out. "The worm has infiltrated the ventilation system. Gas deployed everywhere apart from the central cell, anyone within the walls will be incapacitated. Those in the open with our target, along with the transport crew at the main gate will be your only concern. Leave no witnesses. Kill them! Commence drop to target on the green light. When cloaking is off, you will have five minutes for retrieval... brace for cargo doors open, sending wave three to keep them occupied."

Jeff baulked at the easy dismissal of human life as he watched the hired muscle salute before the screen minimised and the clarity of the picture was lost to him. The main picture now was another wave of flying metal, descending into the central screen and onto the missile housings of the building below, the carnage like speeded up footage of crabs scrambling over a corpse. He pictured the men below briefly celebrating their success in the lull, before being sideswiped by another attack; he had seen this fatal error made more times than he cared to count, had lost friends because of it. As he contemplated the fate of those under attack, the minimised view sprang back to full screen as the mad conductor swiped his hand triumphantly. Mesmerised by the shifting image he watched the large doors opening, to a smoke filled sky. The team he had witnessed earlier made their way down abseil lines to the end of the ramp. Jeff's mouth dried, this was it, and if they were successful The Hood would be on the craft within minutes. He took a deep breath and tore himself away screen and back to the display at the side of him. If The Hood set foot on the craft he would have seconds to act but he would make it known to the man that Jeff Tracy could still put up one helluv a fight.

…

Scott felt the craft move again, slowly this time, like a cat stalking prey, before it banked gently to the right and regained horizontal flight. It was time to focus and make a move, the data on Shadows console had had shown several possible entry points to the craft, two aft of his position, one a large cargo door, the entry point for the shuttle he had witnessed from the footage gained from Two. Footage that he'd viewed from the medical wing back at the Island over and over again to distract from a lover's helplessness and to focus his thoughts on the last known location of his father. His other options were a hatches dead centre of the titanium hull, spaced evenly in perfect line. The closest of which was just a few feet to his left. Before raising the canopy he made a decision, there was no way he could get the both of them off, so he checked Shadow responded to the controls at his wrist. The plan now was to find his father, and watch Shadow lift off with him inside her. Controls confirmed as working, he raised the glass canopy and he was struck instantly by the change in light, it was not down to the natural progression of dawn. They had skipped a time zone, gone away from the orange and into the purple but it was there. He'd spent the last few minutes engrossed in his surroundings and data, that the subtle but undeniable changes had been missed. He looked up, the shields that cloaked the vessel were invisible, but from the inside looking up he knew, that they were now down. They were exposed, and with exposure came the one luxury that stalled his climb from the cockpit. Normally Five would be the first point of call but John was not there. As much as he loved Brains like a brother, he was no substitute for the brothers he needed with him on this mission. The amount of time between losing contact could be counted in minutes, barely twenty of them, but it had felt like a lifetime. He flicked the comms switch and hailed Two and his own bird simultaneously, while lifting his eyes to the heavens, he would pray if it would gift him their voices.

…..

Virgil severed the link with Brains, the news was not what he had hoped. The GDF had been successfully hacked within seconds, after all there was nothing on earth Eos could not gain access to. However, all the foray into the highly illegal had gifted was the certainty that penetrating the cloaking shields with a signal to activate the mechs Scott carried, had not been the quick fix that had been sold to him. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, just to get the rage out that he had managed to suppress when their deflated scientist, had only minutes after selling the solution, returned to admit defeat. Helplessness compounded by intel accessed from the GDF mainframe, there were drones active all over Parkmoor. All moving in attack sequences, and none could be attributed as their own covert doppelgangers. Scott had not added his own to the mix, the alpha target of this attack was untroubled by Brains' changelings. He knew his brother was biding his time, not making impulsive decisions and something about that thought was settling allowing the scream to die inside and his focus to switch to the form of Two in the distance.

Now he had the tail of Thunderbird Two in his sights, he had no choice but to paint on a face, gee up the troops and not focus on the fact that they would miss the party. Their meeting would be in the skies over the northern Iraq, nearly four thousand miles from where they needed to be. While the distance and time to one brother taunted, causing knots in the pit of his stomach, he had two who would have had a similar reaction to the news from Five. Now was not the time to pass them without acknowledgement, certainly not to leave them without instruction that could focus them on a positive. As the giant frame of Two filled his sights, he slowed his craft to match the speed of his girl, ensuring that although he could not see them, their cockpits were perfectly aligned. Virgil took a deep breath and opened comms.

"Gordon, hold back until I've made a full assessment of the situation on the ground," He stated, hoping he'd at least emulated some of his brothers authority, "If the mechs are still active, we won't offer them both birds."

Gordon looked at John who for the past few minutes had sat bolt upright. He cast him a look of warning, John had recently calculated that their current ETA made contact of any kind unlikely, but he was fully aware that sometimes you just had to let it go for the sake of focus.

"FAB," Gordon replied smiling encouragement at his raven-haired brother who was decorating his own console. "If you need us to divert to the launch site, just say the word big brother."

John took his eyes from his pilot, and closed them to absorb the familiar buzz of comms traffic between the birds. Gordon was in regular mission mode while he was out on a limb, more used to directing the circus than being part of it. He was reflecting his uselessness as Shadow's icon bleeped its presence and hit the console forcing his eyes wide open. This was his territory.

"Scott this is Thunderbird Two, come in Scott. Scott!"

The grainy image of his brother flickered in and out before he joined them in the cockpit, surprisingly greeting them with a large grin and a calm voice, "Aren't you three a sight for sore eyes."

John cast a relieved look to his blond pilot before continuing, "Scott we have your location, you're over Parkmoor. Colonel Casey has gone quiet while action is hot. Scott we need your eyes."

"From the top of this monster I can't see a darn thing. Not much I can do to assist, and if I break free now for a look-see we run the risk of losing the ship if he gets what he came for."

"I hear you Scott. Stay put and off radar, Keep your Mechs active, we have you in position on its tail," Before he added to break the tension, "Next time before you go off half-cocked, give us chance for some input."

"ETA on to Parkmoor?" Scott enquired, ignoring the dig and trying to keep his voice light.

Gordon realised in an instant that this was a fact based communication and dispensed with the greeting he would prefered to deliver. "Twenty -seven minutes."

"When I open her up, thirteen minutes." Virgil confirmed.

Gordon and John watched as their sliver flagship sped ahead, while its pilot remained on view in their cockpit and was joined by Penelope and Kayo.

Penelope dismissed pleasantries, the Brits, and for once she was discounting herself from their number, were now insisting against her plea that they had no option but to unleash missiles into the body of the vessel that had uncloaked above Parkmoor. "Scott prepare for attack, they have orders from the Prime Minister to down that ship, break free and monitor from the air."

Gordon had taken his eye briefly from his brother to look at the woman delivering her brief, an indulgence as he met her blue eyes, trying to convey with one look everything that was bubbling like a hot spring inside.

"Scott!" Kayo's plea ran round the cockpit jolting Gordon from the comforting and hypnotic quality of his girlfriend's eyes, which were in direct opposition to the words that had left her mouth.

Virgil and John joined in unison, "Scott!"

Gordon desperately wanted to add his voice but the word stuck in his throat, Scott had disappeared from view, all they had left was the icon of Shadow. His eyes ran wide with panic, then after a long silent minute the blip on the radar hovering over middle England left the vision of Two and he was once again flying blind.

"Parkmoor, Gordon. Nothing's changed that's your heading. Stand-by for my initial assessment. John, prepare the medical facilities, if that ships downed, we sift through the wreckage and we bring our men home."

…

Jeff had watched the men descend the ramp, comms traffic was now a garbled affair between those on the ground, while Jeff listened as intently as his captor for a handle on the situation below.

Eventually the silence was broken. "Guards neutralized, drones holding off the external forces. Target clipped on the line and ready for home.

The Mechanic turned to Jeff. "Ahhh a touching reunion, and not a dry eye in the house."

Within minutes a sardonic laugh came from behind, leaving ice shards running through Jeff's veins. "Ah the chid-snatcher, welcome on board Jefferson. Strap in and take it all in, you are about to have your empire and your family come crashing down around your feet." The smile that accompanied the statement was filled with hatred.

The craft lurched as a ground to air missile hit the underside of the crafts hull.

The maestro flung his arms to the left and addressed his master, "Limited damage reported. Shields up and fully cloaked."

Jeff watched the holo display confirming hit after hit bouncing off an invisible force field, the craft banked hard left, the rapid jerks on the craft helped his own movements as he rocked backward and forwards in the chair, he felt a give in the track releasing his seat it from its confines. It was his turn to smile.

The Mechanic boomed his appreciation; he pulled the craft into the air and hit a burst of speed. "Now shall we show him what we are capable of."

His head span as a warning triangle breached left on the holo data display, The Hood cast and eye to his rescuer.

"Not a breach from an impact of a missile. Routine hull scan for damage just picked up a Thunderbird parasite." The ship's pilot barked.

The Hood snapped his response, "put it on visual. Already you are delivering problems!"

Jeff watched intently, he had weakened the tracks on the rail by lateral and upward motion. A swift rotation and the charged handcuffs would be plunged into the avionics on the display, in his minds eye was seconds away from stalling The Hood's plan. Only curiosity and a gut feeling stopped immediate action, he was certain that the parasite in question, was Thunderbird One pulling his sons 'Piggyback on Two' manoeuvre. Just a glimpse he told himself and he could still follow through. Thunderbird One would break free once the craft was in a nose dive, but before that, he would allow himself just a last glimpse of his boy in action.

The Hood laughed as a picture of what Jeff could only describe as a black stealth fighter jet on legs clamped to the hull of the craft came into view.

"You have brought my niece along for the ride, how thoughtful."

The Mechanic returned refraining from the dangerous, but obvious rebuttal of the truth in the statement, this was not the time to tell him his niece was at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. "Thunderbird Shadow is going no-where."

"Pull the pilot in." The Hood demanded "I have been looking forward to this for a long time." He cast a look towards the open mouthed Tracy "And with your life in my hands, _she_ will be a little more eager to join me."

…..

Scott hadn't lost contact, the ship had still been unveiled before the military might of old man Britain and taking hits when he saw a large man brake out of a hatch to his left, another followed a few feet behind and his proximity locater pinged another from the hatch aft of his position. Another then followed the original party crasher, pulling his frame onto the hull from the nearest hatch; the intruders had made his decision to kill comms an easy one. There were some things his brothers did not need to hear, and whatever fight he managed to put up, the outcome of this little encounter was odds in favour of his new companions. At best he would be taking the rest of the journey within the confines of the vast flying fortress. Scott nestled the gun down the inside of his boot, picking them off one by one now may give him a minor victory to appease himself, but the long game was now on the inside and with his father. Whatever they faced, they would face it together. He rubbed his wrist control with seconds to make a decision; it had been the way off for one of them but now discovered she had to be cut to the wind. As two large framed men loomed towards him he jumped from the cockpit, before he ducked under her wing, his last action was to throw the wings and star badge of his father's into the cockpit. A last instruction to brothers and his girlfriend, they would know what it meant, whatever happened from here on in, International Rescue was to continue for him and his father. The glass closed and he released Shadow, smiling as her engines fired and took out two of the goons directly behind her. As she rose majestically into the sky he prayed for a friendly catch in the form of Five. He watched her black frame gain altitude as he was clattered into the hull from behind. His body hit the deck hard, the thud centred in his chest, he raised himself up on one arm and he shook the impact off before regaining his feet and charging at the man in front. Arms grabbed him from behind, locking his to his sides and pulling him back. He pivoted back into the man using his shoulder to unbalance him, from his peripheral he saw another two closing in. In a last defiant action he leant back into the man kicking out with both feet, leaving the man in front, who had been poised with a fist at the ready, toppling to the ground, the force of contact aided his slid down the natural arching of the ship, the desperate scream as he fell to the earth, another small victory. As he gave a look to the heavens to watch Shadow's retreat, a fist connected to his ribs, in quick succession another to his jaw, before darkness enfolded him.


	45. Chapter 45

Ch45

Those few minutes since leaving his brothers in his wake could be counted at the longest in his twenty-five nearly twenty-six years on the planet. He had pushed Thunderbird One to her limits; his hands locked either side of him on controls that had nothing else to give. The protesting noises from her engines and boosters, in his mind a lament from a bird that wanted to give more, was compounded by warning lights and alarms breaching the cockpit. The belligerent Scot in Star Trek came to mind, he always found something but for Virgil there was nothing within the laws of physics that could get any more from his brother's sorrowful girl. He now found himself talking to her to reassure her, which made him wonder if he was using her imagined grief as a surrogate for his own. It had been less than five minutes since Brains had confirmed Shadow had been cut loose. That he was now remote flying her with a plan to piggyback her on Two. The scientist loathed to return her to the fold in case they should they need the missiles that only she carried. In those minutes since Brains had left the first responder craft to brief the others, he had, whether it be a failure on his part or not, maintained comms silence. He knew in part it was to allow Brains to deliver the news to the Island and the craft behind without an additional voice, which if dared to speak, may crack and betray his innermost fears. Fears that he was certain his younger brother shared as Thunderbird Two was now being flown at a speed that would normally find his blond brother at the receiving end of a string of expletives. He wondered if Gordon and John had made the same calculations as he, whether together they had rejected them and pushed forward in the belief that they _had_ to be there in time, so they would be. Virgil knew one thing for certain, until he had a visual of the situation on the ground, a handle on his own emotions and some semblance of a plan, they were better off on their own. Without verbal confirmation, he knew in his heart that his brother would only cut loose his only method of escape, if the bird's covert presence had been compromised. Scott was now as lost to them as his father.

The thin, blue-grey strip of the English Channel beneath him should have brought comfort, a few more minutes and he could ascertain an action and give his brothers a brief. But, whatever he found, the return of an empty craft that brought a nauseating feeling of dread in him, was now a symbol of defeat for all. It felt like the lights had gone out, and they were all scrambling around in the dark trying to find something familiar to cling to. Virgil couldn't help feeling that the delicate balance of power, in a game they had been forced to play, was not weighted in the Tracy's favour now their covert operation had been thwarted. Lost in a glassy-eyed thousand yard stare, the sky became a surreal pastiche of heaven or more accurately hell, as he was haunted by visions of lost family members. Each, in turn, he pictured lying motionless and betraying no breath of life. Virgil bit down hard on his bottom lip, drawing blood, the metallic taste along with the pain focusing him away from negative thinking. The most un-Tracy-like of traits, a personal admonishment but delivered by the ghostly imprinted voice of his father. He checked himself, drawing his eyes from the distant sky he had lost himself in to take in the scene below. From his vantage point just under the covering of the grey edged cumulous clouds building their changing patterns, he could now see wisps of grey smoke lifting from the ground to greet them. As he banked hard right to circle the scene, losing altitude on the circuit, he took in all he needed to know but in his heart he already knew. There was no downed ship, Scott had and his captors had gone. All he could see were the chaotic movements of people on the ground. A directionless melee stumbling towards an outer wall, two thirds collapsed in on itself. The internal rings, he noted, had held fast and the central cylinder still stood proud in its centre. But he knew without a doubt in his mind that the facility was also minus its former occupant. He tried to find solace in the fact that Scott and his father were together, but from the view of the devastation below, he couldn't help but wonder what this maniac was capable of.

He took a breath, swallowed the defeatist tears away and took another circuit, an unnecessary action other than to gather his thoughts; he needed to be back on the comms and taking charge within minutes. Falling apart was not an option with two brother's only minutes behind from taking in this view. Both were certain now to be making their own assessments as to why Shadow had been cut free by their elder brother. Virgil checked his screen for the progress of Two's icon. Nine minutes behind. He had the option to divert her straight to Norway to save them from this view. However, leaving this carnage without offering the assistance of both birds, regardless of the new search they now had to start, did not sit well with the new field commander. For the first time in since their return from North Island he found himself wondering what Scott would do. Would the impulse to tear apart a base for evidence beat his fundamental instinct to save lives? He doubted Scott would change the rendezvous without at least offering assistance but then Scott had never lost a brother in the field. This was his call, which once made, gave him the first confidence boost since Brains had left his cockpit. He made the call to Casey, albeit praying that for once, rescue organisations on the ground had it covered and he had a guilt free reason to deploy his troops to intelligence gathering.

The console on One was immediately breached by the brown eyes of their friend that betrayed the all-nighter she'd pulled. He made his summons for the others to join the brief, while listening to things he already knew.

The colonel's voice was soulless, the delivery matter of fact. "We lost them when the craft re-cloaked. No trace on any scanners. And without starting the obvious…The Hood is free." She sighed, as holographic representations of her friends added themselves to the brief, "Fliers have been re-deployed to Norway, ground troops are already at the target area and they have the ground level perimeter of the facility secured. I will take a company and divert from Germany. Maitland will meet us there to take any prisoners away for debriefing."

His sister's hologram sprang animatedly to life, before Virgil could utter a word.

"Too little, too late, Colonel!" Kayo countered angrily, spitting their friends rank at her.

Virgil's heart broke for his sister; it was obvious to him that her assessment of the facts had been no less damaging than his own.

"You knew Parkmoor was the potential target Colonel! How the hell did they get him?"

Virgil watched the colour and venom rise in his sister, he could have insisted she back off but why the hell should he? She was bang on the money and although the rhetoric centred on her uncle, Virgil knew the emotion spilling from her was all about Scott. For a girl who rarely did public emotion it was better to let this outburst run its natural course and in the manner she could cope with it.

"And now you have put a troops and a god damned flier in their backyard. Would you return?" Kayo spat, incredulously.

Virgil was grateful that it was a conference call; Kayo looked like she wanted to physically pummel the colonel into back end of next week. The last point she had driven home he hadn't considered, the location they had fought so hard for was fast becoming redundant, after all, they were not likely to have left a forwarding address. Kayo was right, showing a less than covert presence at the facility was a decision made by an army wanting vengeance for making them look like fools, not by someone that risked losing everything.

"Debriefs, are for after the action." The colonel barked in retaliation before taking a deep breath and softening her tone, "and Kayo, with sixteen dead, including GDF comrades and prison guards, and with many more injured, there is no case to argue for a softly, softly approach on the launch site of the attack. If he does return, I will make it clear we are not to attack unless attacked. And that is a concession for you! We will take prisoners, although it goes against every instinct of my men on the ground after the carnage and deaths attributed to our target." She studied the faces one by one before softening her steeled features to match her tone. "I assure you, you will have the full assistance of the GDF. Trident is on manoeuvres in the North Atlantic and heading to the Fjords. Mason is on the move, Trident will pick him up and I will collect him for his own debrief. We will have options, once intelligence comes in."

"Then I suggest you take everything you have to fact-find in Norway, and you're on the clock colonel. The facility, we are given to understand, is disposable and we need data." Penelope stated, taking the mantle from her friend who had now run out of steam, admitting defeat.

The tears betraying a presence in his sister's eyes were not lost on Virgil, who wished his arms could reach out to wrap around her and allow them to fall.

At the Colonel's raised enquiring eyebrow, Penelope continued, "His sidekick. Catherine paints the picture of a man prepared to destroy the establishment rather than leave a trace behind. And he has form, we must prepare for a North Island style clearing of the evidence."

Silence filled the cockpit. Virgil looked at the haggard faces one by one. Shell-shocked was one word for it, beaten into submission, maybe a more accurate description. The Colonel was no doubt donating time to them out of courtesy to family friends. A concession, which he had to concede, that right now they had no right to expect when she had others looking to her as their leader. She had the weight of her rank written all over her pale, sleep deprived face, no doubt after a night of heated discussion with the hierarchy. Gordon was unusually quiet, always a bad sign. John's eyes were glazed over, Virgil doubted that he was actually seeing the same holographic forms as he; John was lost in space, maybe literally if Brains and Eos's absence from the cockpit were anything to go by. Then he appraised the blond and brunette back at the Island, both hovering now silently, while there was nothing more for them to add. His sister's anger had dissipated, the tears staved off but quite possibly into something more dangerous, hopelessness.

Virgil took a deep breath, released one hand from the controls in a vain attempt to brush the despair he felt from his own features, before he addressed their friend to make the offer he wished he wasn't duty bound to make. "Thank you Colonel. We know you are doing everything you can. Before we detour to Norway, can we assist the operation in England?"

The colonel smiled, fully aware of what those words had cost the man at the helm of the Thunderbird flagship, "We have all local hospitals on standby for multiple patients but the choppers have more specialist casualties than they can handle. We have three guards with gunshot wounds to the chest; a trauma consultant is on standby at St Mary's to receive them. Several inmates and guards have severe breathing difficulties and are to be transported to the Royal Brompton, and there is also a patient with blunt force trauma to the frontal lobe. She will be received by the National at Queens Square. If you could assist the patients to the Brompton, we have enough choppers to take the others. I'll request paramedics and guards to accompany the transport."

John looked at the display then the brother at the side of him, his finger taps returning with the rhythm of irritability. This was not a diversion that they wanted or needed, with everything they had just heard and with two of their number at the hands of a maniac, Virgil had promised more than they should be prepared to give. Whatever this diversion would cost them, he was adamant, it would not be that at least one of them would be on the ground when the GDF breached the inner sanctum of the bastard's base.

"Two can manage the full transport to the Brompton." John instructed, his voice calm but with an edge his direct younger brother had not heard in a long time. "Virgil can head straight to Norway to liaise with the GDF. Colonel, promise me, you will give us everything you have. Everything Colonel! From the attacks on Germany, Paris and Parkmoor, to any intelligence you have been withholding on The Hood's time incarcerated. And Colonel, we want your agreement that once I am with you, I get the opportunity to access anything on the ground. Nothing is off limits to us." John commanded, daring her to oppose his assessment of what IR's involvement in Norway would be.

"Agreed. There will be nothing classified as far as you are concerned." The Colonel affirmed. She hovered silently for a moment as if judging whether her next statement would hold any impact, "Your father will be proud of you all, you will be saving lives today." With that, she left the make-shift briefing.

John ignored the comment, he may well be, but they had to find him first. "While we play med-aid, I'll talk with Brains; Eos can pull up a view of Parkmoor during and after the attack. If we gage the size of the craft, we have the size of the anomaly we are looking for on images when he's cloaked. We may find a match. Virgil, it's a drop off service, we will be with you within the hour."

"F-A-B." Virgil responded, as he altered course, leaving behind a warzone, and passing Thunderbird Two on her approach to Parkmoor, for a mission he knew had his brothers torn in two. As the land below was replaced in seconds, by the grey sea leading to his destination, Virgil wished he could find the words for the brothers he was leaving behind. He hoped he could find something before his brothers holograms faded to nothing.

It was his sister that gave him valuable thinking time.

"Sending you best guess plans of the facility from our conversation with our house guest. Cells level 5, The Mechanic's private quarters three levels above, concentrate efforts there." Kayo confirmed, her voice controlled but lacking the punch the intelligence gatherer usually delivered. Once her anger had dissipated, Virgil noted there was only a monotone response left.

"The Mechanic?" Gordon questioned, finding his voice for the first time and clinging to a _nothing_ remark to anchor his thoughts.

"We have a pseudonym for that faceless creature." Penelope commented, "Silas …The Mechanic….whoever his is, he is a part of The Hood's private army. His chosen name is of little matter. It does not change the fact that together, they now have your father and your brother."

Gordon suppressed the outburst he would have delivered to anyone else that had dared to state _that_ all too obvious fact. Instead he forced himself to smile at her.

"Gordon …I …" Penelope halted her response; the second it had passed her lips she had been mortified by her own words. Now, she was too scared to add to them without fully thinking through the ramifications of what would come next. She forced herself, though the pain of guilt and regret to meet his eyes. To allow hers to tell him all he needed to know about her need for his arms around her. Her hope, that he would understand that she was very much as shocked as the rest of them, an excuse but the truth.

Finding that her infamous mask had slipped, to reveal the vulnerability he had always known was there, delivered a fresh blow. Their brief was shifting like sand under the onslaught of a cruel wind-whipped tide and everyone he loved was being sucked into a vast ocean, drifting away from each other. There was a hellish anger raging in his system but it would never be directed at her as proxy for its true target. If anything, the uncharacteristic slip of the woman before him, brought out the protector in him and a distraction he needed.

"Hey, blue eyes just make sure you set an extra place at breakfast and we'll _all_ be home before you know it." Gordon accompanied the public positivity with a wink. "How's Al?" He added, returning her to something that was within her control.

Penelope smiled weakly, in thanks at the easier ground gifted by him that she could find her feet on. "Al's fine. Found a sideline as an intelligence gatherer. How do you put it, a natural 'good cop'. He got far more from our house guest than Kayo and I would have been able to." Penelope relaxed into her smile on safer ground, before she turned her attention to the rest of the airborne operation. "Be careful. Virgil, I recommend waiting for the GDF to fully secure and scan every level of the facility before any of you enter. The Colonel will be true to her word, there is no hurry to be first on site. Please, all of you. Stay safe."

"A quick run for Two and we'll re-group thoughts and actions in Norway, I'll probably still be sitting it out on the sidelines when Two makes it." Virgil re-assured. "I'll give you all everything I have when I'm on the ground and have liaised with the GDF." He turned his attention to the two-man crew making their own sky circuit of the breached facility. "The sky-pad at the Brompton is a little snug, so line her up slow and steady, go around if it's looking tight. Brains has guidance programmed in, use it." It was nowhere near close to what Virgil wanted to say, but in less than an hour they would both be with him, and by then he was certain to have gathered his thoughts into a positive action.

"Snug you say?" Gordon grinned, "Snug is how I roll." With that he saluted his brother adding a wink; the smile Virgil gave in return, just enough to settle him until their rendezvous.

Gordon watched the holographic form of his elder brother and sister disappear. One glance to the side confirmed that John was multitasking comms with Eos and Brains, with what he suspected was a text to Ridley. Gordon focused on the scene below to choose a landing site, leaving his co-pilot a few seconds to himself. After a brief contact with the incident command centre on the ground, he chose a site to the east of the decimated building but close to the main road out and he started his descent.

As he made the final approach to set the giant craft down he noticed there was one hologram not deserting her post. Gordon forced the sun to rise from within, delivering a grin in opposition to the churning in his gut.

"If you ever fancy making up for bad form, I do have a couple of ideas." Gordon quipped.

Penelope chortled, "I'm sure you do! Gordon, I love you."

"I know." Gordon replied, wishing John's eyes hadn't darted to him to witness the blush pinking his cheeks, making the return of the sentiment stall. "Penny, look after the others. Gotta go, things are gonna get a little hectic in here." He turned his attention to the controls, fully aware she was still with him.

Gordon coughed to clear his throat, "John go prep the medical bay, multiple casualties requiring oxygen and monitors." He finished his instruction as Two found her feet on the ground, the veiled light blinked out, and he knew Penelope was gone.

John smiled, a weak attempt he knew, but there to comfort a brother, "how about I take the controls for the detour and you use your expertise in the medical bay?"

"You think you can remember to keep the nose straight, horizontal flight is key. I don't want to return to the cockpit to find us breaching the mesosphere!" Gordon joked as he unclipped. Relieved to be back on safe ground, gifted a job to do that he could do in his sleep, while stood on his head. A job that came with an added bonus, it provided a distraction while there were others in need of him.

John watched his brother hover at the cockpit door, "Let's get this job done ASAP."

"F-A-B." Gordon responded, saluting and clicking his heals together, a comedic gesture delivered more to help him prepare for the game face he had to find for his human cargo than a slapstick comment on the new command structure within Two.

….

Jeff turned in his chair at the thump of a body hitting the floor behind him. A barely conscious head lifted to meet his eyes; he saw feint recognition. Then the click of certainty as it fully registered, with emotion being fought against to be buried deep down. This man, his firstborn had been trained and drilled by the USAF and he saw every bit of his son's training displayed in expressionless features, while he was being manhandled to a kneeling position by an enemy. The same could not be said for his own emotions at the sight of his eldest son. The Thunderbird One pilot, brought to his knees between two hired thugs, his head lolling into his chest as he doubled over in pain. The brief glimpse of his beautiful face, albeit decorated with bruises and an angry welt across his forehead sent shards of anguish into his heart, but he could not look away. One viewing of his son was not nearly enough. For Jeff, a reunion that had been imagined over the past few days as the fog cleared, this was a cockroach in a cookie jar. As instantly as it arose, he pushed back the vision of a fairer, rose tinted alternate. Instead, he took in every rise and fall of his son's chest, until a deep inhalation somehow gave his son the strength to raise his head to meet his own eyes again. Every injury, every added dark circle and wrinkle, on his boys face was studied, and if Jeff got the chance, every single one of them would be paid for. It surprised Jeff that this closer inspection did not bring forth the outburst that had threatened in the first few seconds his son had been dumped at his feet. Without Scott knowing it, his presence had delivered strength, an instinct to fight for and protect that he had not felt in a long time. His son deserved better from him than a gushing declaration of love in the presence of the enemy. No, that was not his boy needed, he locked eyes with the blue of his offspring, willing the little strength he had into the body of the man at his feet. He gave him all he could, tapping a simple 'I love you son' in old Morse on the metallic floor. He was rewarded by a defiant smile.

The silence was soon broken by the bald megalomaniac, who could barely keep his indignation, that the delivered package was not his desired gift, "the eldest without his rocket ship?" He turned to The Mechanic "Brief me immediately, everything you have overseen since my capture." He turned to the two in the ski-masks resting a boot each on the calf muscles of the eldest Tracy boy, "Put them in lock-down in my quarters." He barked.

The Mechanic was now highly aware of the new dynamic. Orders no longer came from him. He needed a visual reminder of his usefulness now The Hood could hire and fire at will, "let them see what we are capable of, before we lock them up. Perhaps it may provide a little encouragement for later."

The Hood laughed, "You have a test target in mind? I think the drone's success can already been counted. I am here after all. I may let you have your games but before you have your fun, I want to know what I have missed."

Jeff seized his chance to turn the screw.

"Maybe he's changing the subject because he killed your niece!" Jeff spat, noticing the slight tell in his boy's features as he processed the words. There was something behind his eyes and new curling sneer to his lips.

"Your new friend's cohort flew her straight into the ocean. Your niece and that bitch were shark bait." Scott added, taking up the baton effortlessly. Smirking as they both watched the blood boil within The Hood, his eyes flashed with anger, accompanied by the unguarded howl of loss. In an instant The Mechanic was brought to his knees by the primeval instinct to lash out in grief. Size, it seemed did not matter when faced with the murderer of a family member.

Jeff eyed his son with his heart hammering nervously inside his chest. Scott would never deliver a statement about his sister so coldly. The slight glance to the left on delivery, along with a grind of the teeth showing in the muscle movement at the back of his jaw-line gave it away. He had seen the same when the boy was eight and he had been questioned directly about a misdemeanour. Denial had come quickly when asked outright if it had been him that had stuck his fingers in the frosting on Virgil's birthday cake the night before the big day, evidence suggested otherwise and the defiant set jaw had been imprinted to memory. Now, in the present, his son was telling another lie and it was the most beautiful sound he had heard since Thunderbird One had delivered his reawakening. His daughter was alive! And The Hood had taken a punch to the gut. As long as they were given privy to the requested briefing they had a little leverage. From the evidence in front of him there was the possibility that they could fundamentally damage this partnership with nothing more than goading and baiting.

Jeff smiled to Scott to show he understood, one that was instantly returned with no fear of retaliation, as the two men that had been pinning his legs moved towards the flight deck to watch the spectacle and await orders. Jeff tapped out further encouragement to his son while he watched The Hood continue to physically vent his anger on his ally.

' _Mind games, son._ "


	46. Chapter 46

Ch 46

Penelope's couple of years at the Sorbonne had imprinted an acceptable demeanour into second nature; ordinarily she could never allow her outer shell to paint a picture of anything but absolute control. It was true that occasionally, in the company of family or close friends, there may be a marked difference in her state of relaxation, feet up on the soft furnishings as opposed to firmly planted on the floor and neatly together at the ankles, but nothing ever to show weakness. The cascade of tears she had shed for her mother had been tolerated because of her tender age, years later at the death of her father, the finishing school had earned its premium fee and she was accomplished at hiding her emotions, on reflection not the healthiest of sentiments. Her body language here, after a briefing that could only compound her lack of control, saw her core deliver a controlled collapse, allowing an almost imperceptible sink back into the curve of the seat, seeking support. She hoped that outwardly her face did not portray any of the selfish fears furiously building inside. She couldn't allow the mask to slip, there was a woman sat beside her that needed her strength and positivity, even though, underneath the surface, both were in short supply. Kayo hadn't said a word as the light in the centre of the room faded to nothing, a reminder to them both that they were left with little else but each other. Her friend's own body language was taut, her brow furrowed, the physical pain behind it, she surmised, a mere snippet to the emotional one Penelope knew was raging through her system. Penelope allowed the seat to support her while she accepted that her own irrational fear for her lover, especially having just spoken to him, was naught compared to the fears of the friend at the side of her. She quickly admonished herself, at least she knew exactly where Gordon was, and he was, for now, safe. Whilst the recent briefing had delivered a blow for all of them, Kayo had been left grief stricken with no outlet or focus to create distraction. Regardless of the necessity of receiving verbal confirmation, she knew her friend now acutely perceived the loss of her lover.

Penelope kept the silence whilst her brain scrabbled for the words to open dialogue, and while she searched for the comforting words required, she returned to the last time she had seen this look of fear portrayed by anyone. It had been etched on Scott's features before he had entered the solace of his father's office. His 'rock-bottom' before he returned with renewed vigour for the search for Kayo with his brother at his side. She vowed to herself that she would be Kayo's Virgil, and whilst there was certainly less history and arguably Kayo would perhaps prefer the support of fraternity rather than sorority, she would be her shoulder, her ear or her punch-bag. She had, until now, never wondered what had been said to Scott in the confines of the office. Whatever words had been uttered, she needed something similar now. She refrained from the easy option, soothing platitudes with encompassing arms; after all, it was in the girl's nature to run from a display that labelled her as 'needy'. She altered her posture for a more lady-like straight back and considered her opening. Now, how to channel her inner Virgil? Possibly more pressing, how to hold a conversation begging for a break of emotion from a girl that never admitted pain and who considered public sharing an admittance of weakness, very much in keeping with her own upbringing. However a release of the building pressure was needed here, suppressing the turmoil in one suffering a brain trauma, which affected a natural coping mechanism to stress, could be a precursor to a full mental shut-down.

She adjusted her posture once more, angled herself to point her closed, uncrossed knees towards her friend, directing her body towards her target while her brain had not quite committed to an opening for the conversation. With Kayo and her natural defences, finding exactly the right words could be a minefield. All she wanted to achieve was to give her friend something to cling to that would confirm that not all hope was lost. Not to start an argument while Kayo's fight instinct was bubbling beneath the surface, only serving to increase her blood pressure. As her friend stirred beside her, for the first time catching her eye, it seemed opening up her body language had been interpreted for what it was. Someone was willing to listen should she need it. Penny smiled as the first few words came from her friend, managed barely above a whisper, but controlled and betraying no shake of anger or faltering of nerves.

"They just let him go! Penny, that is one of the highest grade prison complexes in the world and they let him escape." Exasperated, the volume built, "Even after our warning to expect their attempt!" Kayo slammed her fist down hard next to her, before slumping, her head hitting her hands, "My uncle has them both Pen, and make no mistake he will be prepared to kill." The outburst was short-lived, before the whisper returned, "Whatever he has planned he only ever had the need of one as leverage against us."

Penelope was certain that Scott was at the forefront of her mind, but the subject matter that allowed her an outlet for her grief and turned it into more comfortable anger, continued to be that of her uncle's escape. This girl could not be open, even with herself. Still it would come, eventually, especially while all they could do was to sit impotently by and wait. Penelope patted the top of Kayo's knee, an action which to Penelope's surprise encouraged Kayo's head to seek contact with her own arm.

She found herself lifting the hair that had fallen across her friends face. "We will find them both. I promise you. We will find them." Penelope mentally kicked herself for falling into the trap of making a promise that she had no power to keep.

Kayo eyes lifted and she studied her friend, torn between her desire for an angry rebuttal and her appreciation for her company. She was certain that their long standing family friend was in as much pain as herself, so chose to ignore the bait and remain in comfortable silence. Kayo kept her head in contact with the arm of Penelope, a safe space, acutely aware that this searing pain would soon be passed to the others who were currently blissfully unaware of the recent development. Her little brother, who would be certain to join them soon in the hope of good news, was about to get his world turned upside down and that thought hurt like hell. Kayo knew she had to snap the hell out of it and start thinking of the others, Scott would expect nothing less from her. Alan had enough to cope with just getting through his treatments.

Kayo took a deep breath. "I'm sure you're right, and that is what we will assure the others when they return. As much as we are tempted to ride-along on the comms, we can't, unless we have anything of value to add. Tagging along in the vain hope of being on site at the first sniff of a change will apply too much pressure to the team in the field, and be hell on earth while we can do nothing to assist."

"Agreed," Penelope stated grateful for the extended dialogue, even if it was a walk-around of the emotion she wished her friend would share for her own good. "Kayo, you are allowed break down you know, releasing the tension with a few tears in private in front of a friend is not considered letting the side down."

Kayo smiled, taking a moment to appraise her friend's softened features while calculating the validity of a denial or whether her friend now knew her all too well. She snuggled further into her friend's side; she knew that the action would confirm all her friend needed to know. Some sort of honesty, even if she was not able to admit out loud how utterly bereft and lost she felt. "That's what my room is for and believe me, I will not be entering it until Virgil has told me he has them both or that there is no longer any hope."

"The latter, will not happen." Penelope rallied; resting her own head against atop of her friends, "and we have made quite an assumption as to why we lost contact with Scott. I would not be surprised if he has not entered the lion's den and is commando crawling through vents to give them a surprise of his own." She added with confidence that disguised her grasping at straws.

Kayo closed her eyes and shifted her bodyweight, releasing a little of the pressure her head had been boring into the shoulder of her friend. The movement allowing her hair to fall forward to hide the tears welling in her eyes, tears that she god damn refused to spill. She wished Penelope's easy statement were true, and if that was easier for her friend to believe, then she would not lash out at her in opposing argument. But her silence did not retract from the truth, she may have always been emotionally stunted but she had never seen the point in making up an obvious untruth to trick the mind. No, Scott had released his escape route for one reason. His covert presence had been compromised and now her uncle had two prisoners or worse. She was aware of the love behind the sentiment to sugar coat the reality, but she had lived her life without the need to sweeten it so far, and if she stood any chance at coping with the news, it was in accepting the reality of it. Long and short of it, they had nothing, and they were now heavily reliant on the GDF not fucking anything else up. The noise of the others making their way slowly into the ring, immediately brought Kayo from her reverie and instantly she sat bolt-upright and in full command of the threatened tears.

She whispered to Penelope until they were too close, and she cut off dead. "Kill the map. We tell grandma and Parker when we get a chance to do so in private. Alan, we leave to grandma, if anyone tells him then it will best coming from the closest things he's had to a mother in his life. We keep Shadow's icon off the screen until…."

Kayo shifted her attention, noting her blond brother take in the lack of visual display, spurring him to quicken his progress across to the seats.

"Steady Al, it's not a race." An instruction Kayo was pleased to manage without her tone betraying her.

Penelope had briefly clasped Kayo's hand, before letting it fall; an action Kayo knew was not lost on her grandmother. Wisely, the elders lips remained tightly shut allowing them both to busy themselves making sure Alan was as comfortable as he could be in seating that was ill-suited to the patient. His tiredness was now obvious to Kayo, heavily displayed by his posture and pale skin. The fresh dose of painkillers had dulled his blue eyes but brought respite from exhausting pain. Kayo knew from witnessing Virgil remove her brothers gel-like protection, graft bio-printed skin onto his affected wounds then reapply fresh gel packs that the procedure he had endured since leaving their prisoner had zapped what little light and strength her youngest brother could muster. For an hour, once a day, the teen became a young boy, lost in the memory of recent nerve wrenching pain and in need of babying and comfort. Kayo reflected that this may not be the time to apprise the youngster of the developments that had her own heart ripped to shreds. However, the call was not hers to make, much as Brains had control of Five; the hierarchy at the Island had their matriarch fulfilling Scott's domestic role as head of the family.

As soon as Alan had been settled, his medical data and latest treatment uploaded to Brains, her grandmother gave her a look, which years of experience told Kayo, that she fully expected a private conference and the time for that was imminent.

"Tea, Kayo. I think we could all do with cup, and if you wouldn't mind, many hands make light work." Her grandmother instructed, leaving her granddaughter in no doubt about the summons to a private space.

As she left the ring with the matriarch, Kayo watched with interest, an equally vague, mainly non-verbal exchange between Penelope and her chauffeur. Partners, more than employee and employer, and from the now washed out features of the grey-assassin he had more than understood that the tide had shifted somewhat. Within seconds of them entering, both the elder inhabitants were aware that the situation had changed for the worse, without delivering the finite detail. As Kayo reached the doorway she cast one last look at the ring noting Penelope's action to call the holo-globe to centre stage at the insistence of Alan. The birds giving away their positions in Europe, minus Shadow who could not be present until a difficult conversation had been held.

As she turned away from the deception towards her grandmother, her resolve crumbled and she found herself doing the one thing she had been adamant to Penelope that she would only do alone. There was no dramatic sob, no heaving bosom, no collapse of the knees as legs buckled, but tears ran down her face silently and freely. She realised, as much as Alan needed an hour a day to be babied through physical pain, she had, claimed her own for her emotional burden. The strong arms of her grandmother pulled her into the safest place she ever felt as a child, her soft, comforting breast. In the perfect representation of her childhood memory, fingers smoothed her hair and she was serenaded by a gentle shushing. Minutes passed in silence as she allowed herself to be held in an embrace that was welcome, but a poor substitute for the one she wanted, the one she needed. As his vision hit her brain, drifting from the sublime moments they had together to the tortuous unknown of his present state, she could only squeeze more tightly to her grandmother. This action halted the cooing noises, the elder's hands shifted from the back of her granddaughter to her shoulder, delivering a gentle push away from the heat of her body, which allowed her to study the green-amber eyes of the younger.

"I think it's about time you told me what an earth is going on." She stated calmly and without reproach.

Kayo faltered, how to deliver the new state of affairs without fear driving the facts into fantasy and supposition? Kayo went for a visual aid to what she had to say, she brought forth the holographic form of Shadow from her wrist comm. Now a visual representation of the fact that every time they felt they were in the driving seat they were blindsided by a new development.

"She's in the air without her p…pilot." Were the few words she managed to speak before cutting short when her voice began to betray her.

"Any contact at all?" He grandmother questioned, passing a square of kitchen roll to her granddaughter, a practical application, while she gathered her emotional one.

"Briefly, we lost contact, then Shadow broke free from the craft." Kayo confirmed, drying her eyes before blowing her nose. "He was over Parkmoor sitting tight then comms just cut out."

"Then we have to trust he is alive." Her grandmother stated, almost to herself.

Kayo noticed the delivery was smooth but her grandmother's fists were now balled.

"Do we tell Al?" Kayo ventured not sure whether her arms were now required to give the comfort she had so recently received herself.

"First we make the tea. Secondly we replay the recent communications for _all_ to hear, I will keep nothing from him." She allowed a slight smile as Kayo gave a squeeze to her hand as the younger acknowledged the tone of regret, knowing the reason for it. "Thirdly, we contact Brains to see if there isn't some miracle solution teetering on the edge of fruition. And lastly, we have faith in his brothers and we will concentrate on looking after each other." She clasped her hand around the younger and rounded the door with her at her side. "And while we have slept, there are two in the room who I'll wager have not, we draw up a rota. Penelope and Parker need to rest. Four hours on four off, Al's exempt and I trust that you will only accept a duty if you are well enough to do so."

"I'm fine." Kayo confirmed, aware her grandmother could see through her facade.

"For now! We need you to be honest Kayo, if you need to rest then you speak up. It may not sound much but it really would not help anyone here if you pushed yourself beyond your limits."

Kayo kissed her cheek, "FAB."

Kayo eyes followed her grandmother as she crossed the room and passed the drinks around. Then as she took a seat beside her younger brother, she watched pensively, as with calm whispers and a clasped hand their grandmother delivered the blow. To her surprise Alan wrapped his arms around her, taking on the role of comforter rather than seeking it as he processed the news. As she released herself her grandmother gave the order for the recent briefing to be replayed into the room. Kayo took a seat at the other side of her brother and swore to herself that she would make sure that every person in that room kept their head above water. Then, there it was, Scott's voice and instinctively she grasped Alan's hand.

…

With the weight lifted from his legs and his captors more captivated by the on-board entertainment at the centre of the flight deck. Scott pulled his legs from underneath him and adjusted his position to sit on the floor at the feet of his father. The man was barely recognisable, only the blue of his eyes gifted the memory that he had been clinging to since his disappearance. His salt and pepper, unkempt beard hid his strong jaw-line. Shoulder length hair, now mainly salt made him look like the oldest student in town, a look his father would rather die than adopt in ordinary circumstances. Scott took in every inch of him, his complexion was sallow, face gaunt and he'd dropped at least 30lbs in weight, the donated clothing dropping off him. However, for all Scott could compare as a physical difference, the last few minutes assured him that mentally the man was in peak condition, it was something to cling on to. He had so many questions, so much to say, but here, in the den of the enemy he could not allow himself to be unguarded. He was acutely aware of the manacles surrounding his father's wrists, and their power to break not only their original prisoner but that they could now be used to extract intelligence from the new. Mind games maybe all they had but that was a two-way street; the initial euphoria of that minor victory had started to dissipate. The comic-strip villains still mid-battle albeit now a mainly verbal affair, had a one helluv of a power play in their possession. One bolt into his father and Scott knew he would be putty in their hands. He patted the pistol strapped to the inside of his boot to assure himself that when the time was right or they had no option they had one final option, a last stand. A suicide mission perhaps but he preferred to think of it as payback with fingers crossed that lady luck bestowed her favours to those that earned it.

He turned his mind back to the power they held using just words, whatever they said to turn the screw they had to do it deftly, as innocently as possible and timing each attack with precision to keep the anger of his captors concentrated on each other. Suddenly his attention was re-orientated by silence, as the attack made by their foe on his cohort subsided just as quickly as it had started. The two bucks sized each other, and the dominant, deeming punishment served, returned to the apparent business of the hour. For a man that had spent the last few weeks incarcerated he was straight back to action, pulling holo-data out of the air, digesting and dismissing it quickly. The man at the side of him as equally as engrossed in the data, but remaining quiet and submitting full control to the alpha. It seemed to Scott that the news of his niece had now been dealt with. A cold, callous man had made the calculation to punish the man-mountain for a dismissal of orders, not for the dismissal of life of a family member. Instinctively, he turned to his own father, who instead of watching the spectacle seemed to have his eyes frozen in place weighing up his firstborn. Scott smiled, there was so much weighted in the silence between them. Close to two years of agonising pain for them both, now with the additional torture of a lacklustre reunion. Scott brought his hand in front, aware of friendly eyes watching his every move; he slid it down his boot, checking all eyes were still trained to the control deck. He showed just a little of his stowaway hardware to make his father's eyes sparkle.

The holo-map breached a warning and both turned their attention back to their captors.

"Get back to your prisoners!" The Hood barked to the two in ski-masks who were still ringside, hovering in hope of round two.

"The show over?" Jeff questioned ensuring any attention was directed away from his son.

"For you, it is just beginning," the response from the disloyal sidekick came instantly and with venom.

"And for us!" snapped the alpha taking in the raw data filtering through, "The GDF have an army sitting on top of our production site. It seems your fire power will get an outing now we cannot get rid of our expendable resources in the comfort of our own home. But first, we ensure that they capture only bodies. Flood the vents with our bio experiment. We shall spring the trap when they hit the lower levels. No-one will come out alive."

"Careless isn't he? That's the second base he's lost you within the month." Scott commented betraying no celebration, just an observation.

The Hood gave him a hardened stare while his instruction was acted upon by one eager to make reparation. "Some things are expendable, including yourself Tracy, you are 'the spare'." He laughed manically, "or maybe now I have you that role can go to your father. One more word and we will find out who I deem more valuable!"

"Time to deal with another of our problems and give the Tracy's a front row seat?" The Mechanic interrupted, giving a sidelong glance requesting permission to act from his follicly challenged paymaster.

"All loose ends must be dealt with, before we commit to the plan." The Hood affirmed.

Scott glanced at his father who was equally trying decipher any intelligence from the madness.

"Then FY1058 has started her approach to Bergen. Take her out?" The alpha ordered before laughing, "Goodbye Professor, your assistance has been invaluable but you have outstayed your usefulness. Your toys will be the death of you, and the making of me."

His laugh rang around the flight-deck, the two men once again at the side of the Tracy's chuckled appreciatively as the craft banked hard to the right, the screen gifting its target within minutes. Scott watched with his heart in his mouth as a wave of drones launched into the sky, like locusts they attached en-mass, stripping out the tail section of the plane. Scott looked away from the screen as the plane plummeted to its watery grave, catching the eye of his father who looked equally as anguished. He imagined the seconds of horror inside the cabin. Screams, the last thing each passenger and crew would have heard before plunging into the ocean in an action so quick they would have been unable to compute the situation, Scott doubted the pilot would have had a clue as to what the hell was happening to his charge. Barely time make a mayday call and fight unresponsive controls. A pilot, who, would have spent the last few seconds of his existence clasping the yoke, vainly pulling up with a silent prayer, knowing he had a snowballs chance in hell of making it out of the dive. Scott's gut rolled and blood boiled as the next view gifted by the giant screen was a slick of debris off a coastline. His fists were now tightly clenched and he ached to clasp the hidden treasure in his boot and take the flight crew of this destroyer out. Before, the impulse turned into action, he caught sight of the almost unperceivable shake of his father's head. A sure-fire instruction that this was not time to declare his ace. He looked away from the debris filled screen to the psychopaths congratulating themselves, then instead of thoughts of retribution, he concentrated on the safe, unwavering eyes of his father.

"One former and expensive irritant down, one to go." The Mechanic declared in a celebratory tone.

"And not to forget Mason. We leave nothing to chance." The Hood bellowed, his volume increasing with gusto in finding he had something to commemorate his release with, and fully enjoying being back in control. Weeks in solitary without food for his psychotic tendencies had his appetites raging. "Lock onto the next target. Our American friend." He barked at his now forgiven No. Two. This type of power was too enticing to hold grudges. It would be a very different story when the beast of a man came to the end of his own usefulness.

Scott flinched and paled, their disposable American ally was taking a flight, which also carried their new found friend from Global One! And in that moment all he could think about was John.


	47. Chapter 47

Ch 47

John smiled as he brought Thunderbird Two in for a textbook landing on the skypad that served the Brompton. Smug had never been in his nature but he had to admit he was bordering on it now. A bored Virgil, sidelined in Norway while robots made the first tentative foray into the bowls of the Norwegian base, had co-piloted in holo-graphic form. A hardly needed requirement for the NASA trained astronaut. Amusing nonetheless, as the fretful parent had vocalised the finite adjustments needed which were already calculated and performed before his instruction had finished. It had always narked John that all but the youngest of his brothers dismissed his flying skills, forgetting that skills used in space required nerves of steel, docking the equivalent of finding a needle in a stellar haystack.

"Good job, Spaceboy." The raven haired pilot congratulated. The relief etched on his face, no doubt for the heavy lifter of their fleets undamaged status.

"Piece of cake." The red-head remarked still smiling, while indicating to his younger brother that patient transfer could start. With a large team already swarming on the pad to accompany the swift elevator ride to the penthouse ED, the human cargo were already halfway to salvation.

John had been more than grateful for his change in role. He could imagine the bustle under belly of the hulking craft, as doctors took the patient transfer information from the paramedics. Gordon redundant, probably waving them off like cabin crew do to holiday makers. Gordon's function superfluous in the med bay but essential for IR, there was no-way any passenger was left free reign in the hold let alone any with a more than dubious choice of career. John was grateful that mantle of small talk with the medical professionals and prison guards had been taken by 'Mr Personality'. John kept one-eye on the disembarkation, his hands itching to take to the skies to join his direct younger brother on terra firma. Get his hands on the one thing that could make a difference, the mainframe within a Scandinavian base.

"You made any headway on permission to enter." John ventured, breaking the second of silence that ran with his thoughts.

"Ground level secure." Virgil confirmed then stalled, John kept eye-contact knowing his brother too well to shift his focus. Virgil continued, "John there are bodies, and the tox-screen from the rovers indicate the whole base will need flushing before anyone can enter without breathing apparatus. The GDF won't move until the rovers have scanned each level."

"Any data ports on ground level we can access?" John enquired. It didn't matter to him whether he personally accessed their data or if he gave Eos an entry point to take a walk in the circuitry while the GDF sat around calculating severity v likelihood in a mental risk assessment, wasting valuable time. Surely suit up with external air source and the risk to life had been PPE'd from existence! He remained quiet passing his frustration to a brother already drowning in it, was tantamount to torture.

"None found, nothing more than bunk rooms, stores and a maze of tunnels. There's a small medical facility, separated from the main base a half K to the east, but they are on a stand-alone system."

The pause was a little longer and John felt the need to prod his brother. "What is it Virg?"

"It's the only place I have been allowed entry, there are recent patient records. John its dad! It has to be."

"And the data?"

"Malnourished, injuries recorded that indicate he has taken a beating. Tox screen show a concoction of drugs leaving his system slowly, they would have kept him under control and messed with his memory and all but basic mental function."

Gordon hovered in the cockpit doorway holding his breath, the smile as he'd entered wiped clean off his face as this patient data swarmed in a brain, calculating what he had been through. Any news that provided a tangible link to his father surely was better than nothing but his brain refused to make that optimistic leap. That was his dad and he had been treated worse than the common criminals he had just aided to get the best medical attention in the country. Bile rose.

"And his condition when moved!" The blond shouted, forgetting that his presence had not been announced as John jumped in his chair like a cat on introduction to a cucumber.

"Last observations indicate that the last patient was improving. Nothing administered but painkillers in the facility" Virgil stated, with a half smile. That had to be good news. They needed him coherent but most of all they needed him alive!

The audible sigh in the cockpit came in duplicate.

"That's something right?" Gordon commented as he patted the pilot on the shoulder to relieve him off his post. "Hot-seat's mine. Let's roll, we gotta get there A-sap!"

Before the craft had chance to switch from vertical lift off to horizontal flight, the cockpit reunion was broken by the holographic form of their space sitting scientist. Pleasantries it seemed were not his agenda as he delivered an update none of the Tracy's were prepared for. "FY1058 has crashed. D….downed in the North Sea. No s…survivors."

"Cause!" The red-head demanded. The answer, he'd wager he knew already.

"An a…attack by mechs." The scientist affirmed. "Mother-ship still off radar but the launch site was the North Sea 100km due west of Stavangar." Brains waited for a request for more details he didn't have before the shocked silence indicated he could move to the brief. "Shadow is hovering in the Thames e…estuary for collection." He added.

Whilst Brains was unaffected by the chaotic thoughts now running free in the head of his predecessor on Five, Gordon became acutely aware of the math that was adding to the weight on his brothers features.

"Brains keep control of Shadow we're heading straight to Ridley's plane." The blond confirmed, noticing the smile of gratitude from his co-pilot. "We don't need the extra weight so park her in Norway with Virg."

Brain's smiled, "I am sure we can c…come up with a way for her to join you and be of use. After all you may need her f…firepower." The scientist stated. Gordon wondered what was behind the twinkle in his eye. He knew better than question him about the limitations of remote flying her. His eyes were enough to confirm that if they needed Shadow's payload he had found a way of targeting it minus pilot. He hit full thrust over the Thames estuary and out into the North Sea.

"Brains I want the Ridley's planes movement on screen in two." John added.

"S…secondary radar will pick up the t…transponder signal." The scientist confirmed.

"Visual already on display John." Eos confirmed, used doing what her friend needed when he needed it and before he had to ask. A smaller version of the globe on Five had appeared as all eyes trained on the scientist. It showed a small red plane icon. Still in the sky, still moving, the size hardly fitting for what John had invested on the inside of the craft.

"John I'm picking up a potential match for the outline of the mother ship showing an anomaly on satellite 100km north east of the last launch site." Eos added, ignoring her direct report in favour of the comfortable relationship with her house-mate.

That was no-where near the icon holding his full attention but that did not negate his need. "Virgil, we _have_ to escort the American flight in. We're not losing time at the base if they won't let you get a foot in the door." While there was requirement for a chain of command, he was delivering a statement, not a request for permission. No point opening it up for discussion and inviting counter argument, when he'd stake his substantial bank account on there being a next target.

And that target was the temporary home of a woman that had distracted John Tracy more than any female had managed in his nearly twenty eight years. He'd be damned if they were leaving Ridley to the fate of the gods after she had selflessly donated time and resources to them. Every argument under the sun was building should his decision be countermanded. Even, if he had to declare his god damn love for the woman in the presence of his brothers to ensure an action, he would. No matter how John dressed up his interest as friendship, hell in the vacuum before first date he could hardly claim anything else from her. But the threat to her safety only confirmed a feeling he'd had since he'd waved her goodbye at their Island home. A day when unexpectedly, a gaping hole in his life appeared that filled with a warm rush every time he had heard her voice since. That was the day when her phone number became his most precious possession. He got ready for mutiny, would take his blond brother down with him, take them off the comms and just act if he had too.

They were greeted with silence from the raven haired hologram. Not a denial, a pensive face hiding a billion thoughts.

Gordon looked to the hologram, and then to his co-pilot who already had phone in hand tapping away at the keys no doubt with an innocuous text so as not to panic the passenger but a lifeline to his brother who needed to make sure that he still had contact. He waited, but the course was set, they were on their way, just needed the official directive to make the paperwork clean later. He smiled, damned paperwork, drilled in courtesy of the two that had no part to play. The smile disappeared, too easy to forget reality, but when she bites, she bites hard leaving you in no doubt of the rancorous wound inflicted.

"Thunderbird One is go." Their field commander added.

"Virgil?" John questioned.

"This rescue is a family affair!" The Thunderbird One pilot confirmed. "And it will the first time we know exactly where to expect them. Ridley is priority one, but this may be just what we need to pin that bastard down!"

"Then, let's do this." Gordon beamed, as Thunderbird Two hit a cruising altitude that would put them 500ft above the flight when they crossed paths.

…

For those at home the wait for any update had been as frustrating as Virgil had sounded at his last contact. Just minutes after he landed and held his brief with Casey. He had confirmed little more than he was at the facility, but that no human would breach it for the foreseeable. No details, the contact short as he was given permission to take a look at a groundside facility away from the main base. Penelope scanned the room as Virgil's hologram faded; the whole room cut an exhausted tableau. For want of anything more useful to do while they waited for the head-cam footage they expected from the GDF force, she broke from the ring to retrieve blankets to wrap around the youngest and eldest who sat together. If this was the long haul they would all need something to wrap up in and wait it out. For the moment, both Parker and Kayo, preferred to pace the nervous energy out, crossing the floor like sentries, that could not last. She left for the hanger to busy herself with the task she had set herself, a task that was essential to keep her sane. She could have lifted more luxurious bedding from the rooms, but they needed the hover stretcher for Al and somehow being wrapped up in blankets supplied to survivors seemed more apt to their own state of shell shock.

She couldn't help but wonder why the GDF refused to move, the feed was long overdue, the GDF seemingly balking at storming of the facility. To make matters worse, both Colonels were refusing the contact that this solo task had been partly a cover for. Her compact remaining free of the holograms that would provide the most relevant intelligence. She could forgive Casey but Robert Maitland would be receiving short shrift when he finally made contact with his supposedly long term family friend! She closed it defeated; being kept in the dark was not a position she was used to. And whilst it was true, Alan had taken the news with a stiff upper lip her countrymen were so adept at; she could feel his pain in his silence. She had wanted to give him something more than a painkiller to ease it. She had felt pride at the youngsters, initial, point-blank refusal to believe that Scott being taken had been anything other than a plan by the eldest to get on the inside of the ship. A stoic, blind faith that exuded inner strength and gritted teeth that betrayed doubt on the inside while defiance played on the out. Their grandmother's plans for staggered rest breaks had been agreed to, but the youngster refused to move from the ring. The sentries could not have agreed more if they had given a resounding ' _here, here_ '.

This part of the Island was a foreign territory, other than to pass through with the pleasantries of greeting ringing in her ears. She smiled as the ghostly kisses of a certain beau graced her cheeks in precious memory. The silence was deafening, only the proud red column of Thunderbird Three graced the echoing, cavernous surroundings as her heels clacked across the floor on her mission to the store. Without Brains at the Island the robotic pit crew were idle, the mechanical side to Island life also waiting, trapped in a stasis, along with the human inhabitants. It was here in these lonely surroundings, while piling cots and blankets onto a hover-stretcher that Penelope allowed herself to admit her exhaustion. The red-eye from Perth allowing her last sleep that could be counted in hours and not a recharge of mere minutes, a distant memory. The thought of a cot and warm blanket could not have been more inviting if she had been promised that sleep would come in her own four-poster. She allowed herself a rueful smile as she added the proviso 'without company' of course. There was one thing Penelope had started to believe, and that was that no matter what aspect of her life would have to change to accommodate it, she hoped to wake in the arms of a certain young man for the rest of her life.

Then there he was, under the bench at the end of the kit room lay the shirt he had worn at their parting. Bright orange with palm trees, she lifted it to her face and inhaled. Sandalwood, and the unmistakable personal odour that she greedily inhaled over and over. As her weakened knees forced her to take refuge in the bench, her nasal receptors brought forth a cascade of joy, sorrow, love and loss. She sighed; she could only pray that she got the opportunity to make her feelings very clear. There was nothing more certain that the fate of a loved one hanging in the balance to make you regret not accepting a proposal on its first delivery. As she clung to the shirt, she hoped that she would have nothing more to regret than the mere whimsy of timing, rather than a lifelong burden. That she could undo the hurt in his eyes as she declined his offer for no better reason than giving him the opportunity to ask again when he was certain that it was no infatuation. She had toyed with him for over a year, then used him to salve her own conscious and again to make an escape from an unlooked for welcoming committee at the airport. All the while showing little emotional intelligence to share her own feelings other than to reciprocate those three little words that had grown with them over the last week. Told him they should wait, but what in heaven's name for? Kayo was probably right now, torturing herself, over the time it had taken her to admit her own feelings for Scott. Time wasted.

The list was complete; all that remained was for her to steel herself for the company while her eyes betrayed tears. She folded the shirt carefully and placed it on the top and she brought the hover stretcher to life to take care of the heavy lifting. As she made her way back into the main hanger she realised she had made her decision. Whilst promises had been made not to burden the crew of the Thunderbird fleet, she found it necessary to unburden herself.

Her compact gifted the vision him at the controls, his glance to the left confirming he had noted her presence.

"Hey hot-stuff, I though Brains had agreed to take the briefing."

Penelope stalled slightly, the idea of their being a need for a briefing excited and thrilled. There was an action in the offing; she almost retreated from the reason for her call. Almost, but not quite, she would not be left with any regrets.

"Gordon. The answer is yes."

She smiled, as she watched him compute with an open mouth gawp, endearing in its shock factor. Needing the help of his co-pilot to assist his comprehension, as he congratulated him, and the penny, for want of a better word, dropped.

"A definite yes?" The blond fumbled, a grin forming.

"A resounding yes," She confirmed, before blowing a kiss, her heart hammering.

"Wow, Pen. I …. I ."

"I know. I'm sorry it took me so long. I'll take the briefing with the others." With another blown kiss she closed the compact and left the cockpit.

When she returned Brains had facilitated the inhabitants, with the live time footage of a robotic reconnaissance rover entering a large warehouse. But that was not the briefing in progress, there was a new threat from what she could fathom. One Gordon chose not to burden her with in her impulsive moment. It was the request to the room that accompanied the update, with two of the number chomping at the bit volunteers, which intrigued. She guided the hover stretcher to rest and took a seat, realising that with the grin she had arrived with, when this conference was over, she may well have some explaining to do.

"I believe I have some catching up to do." She stated. Her attention pinned to the scientist at the centre of the room, while her heart palpitated at its recent bravery.

….

It was becoming highly frustrating for both Tracy's, the limited sightline they had were gifted via a holo-screen, which two goons obscured the full view of. There was no sign of targeting yet. Scott still could not speak to his father, who was completely in the dark as to the target craft holding the heart of his second born son. There was so much for the man at the side of him to catch up with, and yet still they were being taunted by enforced silence. He wondered what he would make of John finally finding a soul mate, or the lady and the Olympian. More so, in the selfish scheme of things, his own heart belonging to a woman, his father not only called daughter in name but whose generous heart had adopted from their very first meeting at a foster carers in New York state.

An incoming call stopped his musings, as a panicked voice hit belted out of the comms. "We're being hailed by Trident. We can't out run an S-Class in a yacht!"

The assailants once again moved away from the prisoners towards The Hood who brought the voice to life in the bottom of the screen in front of him.

The recipient cast a look at his lieutenant, "Change course!" He returned to the SOS, "We are coming for you now, send your position." The Hood assured. He silenced their comms link, "A final solution to our problem." He stated turning to the pilot.

The holo-screen confirmed a mark halfway between the hip of England and Norway.

"We have your position." The Mechanic confirmed, enjoying the subterfuge with the sweaty brow of his old adversary. "Standby." He severed the link and laughed as the ship arched to return to the North Sea.

The Hood sneered, "Looks like the British have become a more pressing issue. We cannot allow the duplicitous fools the chance to negotiate terms for freedom. I hope the water Meccs are tried and tested."

"They will work." The Mechanic confirmed with the conviction of an inventor.

"Then this loose end will prove a joy to tie," The Hood confirmed. On his many visits to oversee where his money was spent, he'd wanted to ram his arm down the throat of Mason and pull his innards through. The pompous, self-important, short sighted fool, in league and major fundraiser only to gage secrets from so called friends and enemies. All for the chance to run a two-bit nation so handcuffed to the political arm of the GDF that that power was almost superfluous. Limited to calls on infrastructure, no real power within the League of Nations. Watching him take his last breath floundering in the water will be just as sweet.

"The S-class may pick up survivors." The Mechanic cautioned.

"Not if it is sent to the bottom of the ocean! Take them both out. Then we head for the plane."

Scott sighed in relief. A stay of execution.

It was short lived.

"Launch airborne mecha to target the flight and we will collect the hardware after our detour. Take the opportunity for a few holiday snaps of the debris field." He directed a sneer at the elder. The man with a predisposition to rescue, watching helplessly as lives were extinguished as he sat by redundant. This was the day that just kept giving.

Scott took a breath, controlling his anger for the sake of his father, whose fate was still in hands of their adversaries. He concentrated on fact; those at home had to be connecting the dots. Links had to have been made. He calculated the time that had passed since last contact, the two birds would be in Norway. He closed his eyes, could almost hear the comms rattling between the two planet side birds and Five after the loss of the first plane, it comforted to place himself in familiar surroundings. John would be certain to link the two professors that they had also targeted, but in a more covert way. He had no doubt that as there would be a plan. Annoyingly he was not part of it, sitting back with fingers crossed was not the sort of place he was comfortable but he had to have faith. With this detour, the mother-ship away from his brothers, time to think had just been gifted by the man with more targets than a rifle range. Scott forced everything from his mind, his brothers, and the imprinted slick of debris. Fought past the stab of pain between his ribs, the ache of his cheekbone and the splitting, brain eating headache he had been fighting since his arrival. Took breaths, deep and purposeful, feeding the options darting though his brain.

The craft shifted position, he could feel a rapid but controlled decent.

…

John pondered the message he wanted to send as Thunderbird Two left the shores of Britain behind and picked up their stealth craft escort. Many had been typed, amended, retyped and then deleted. Somehow there was nothing that covered this scenario adequately. ' _I think your plane is gonna be under attack_ '. Panic inducing. ' _I love you Rid_ ' highly suspicious and likely to cause as much alarm as his first thought. ' _Blinds up and keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual_ ' a command that would equally not achieve anything but panic or at least a bombardment of questions. Phoning her, may be easier to get what he need to across but after everything that had happened in the past week he now had an inbuilt sense of paranoia. Their foe may well be monitoring all communications to and from the plane. Texts would be under the radar, there would be passengers staving off the boredom of a long flight and short of monitoring for key words …. He sighed …. What the hell was he thinking? of course they wouldn't know she was there. The thought of losing her was sending him all sorts of crazy ass instincts. Good job Gordon had the controls, in his hands … well.

He eyed Gordon as the decision making process continued. They were still several minutes from eyes on target and so far there had been nothing to cause concern on the scanners. Base fear however, was making its presence known physically. His stomach muscles contracted around his guts, strangling them from within. Heart rate raised enough for Eos to have issue a warning. His brother's concerned eyes occasionally drifted in his direction.

John settled on his text. Fact based, crazy or not, keywords had been thought about. Had to manage somehow to give an order, an action to brief the man at the controls and keep her busy. Gifting her something should the 'shit be about to hit the fan'. Something that did not pass on the fear that was furiously building inside of him as time stood still. His words had to appear that everything was under control, even if his own bodies natural fear responses branded him a liar.

 _You OK O'Bannon? Could do with your assistance. Again! ;-) Check your news feed, Edinburgh flight downed. Got you an escort have eyes on. Find one of the AM's, there are two on the flight. We need a message up the front. We will be landing a mechanical ride along on the top. No cause for concern and keep its presence off the airways but ensure that seat belts sign on, we create a little turbulence in close contact. I just can't seem to keep away from you!"_

As he hit send the Orange clad Holographic form of mission control hit the flight deck "W…wave of incoming mechs, fifty miles to the south west of target!"


	48. Chapter 48

Ch 48

Scott slowly shifted position behind his father, determined that before he took in fully the situation on the outside of the craft, that he will have made a difference to their own on the inside. So far he had remained unbound. Injured, with nowhere to run and his father a pawn to negate the instinct to try; his captors had taken their eye of that particular Tracy ball. He had to take full advantage now. He was acutely aware the tide could turn at any moment. He dreaded to think what came next once those psychotic bastards had time on their hands to turn the screw for their own amusement. They had already threatened them with removal to lock-down away from the flight deck and there may yet be a second set of GDF issue shackles with his name on it. Even at that thought, now spinning away at a tangent as he wondered how the hell they had got their blood-tainted hands on them, he admitted to himself that even that was a best case scenario. With the capability to torture and a spare hostage, Scott could feel that the time to act decisively was diminishing by every second he wasted in inactivity.

Four against one were not odds he fancied at the best of times, even when his ego was allowed full internal bragging rights about similar odds and successful outcomes. But even with his infamous gung-ho predisposition, he did baulk at a reckless impulse that could result in his father paying the price for his audacity. Neutralise that threat, and he would be freer to react as and when the situation changed. He kept his eyes on the flight crew as he rose on his haunches and pressed his communicator against the manacles of his father, a weak smile greeted the action. Step one, diagnostic scan of the hardware, ascertain the maximum voltage this piece of kit could deliver. Heart stopping capabilities and this was over before it started.

As his communicator silently, and frustratingly at a pace akin to a mollusc on a go-slow, processed the data. Scott allowed his to eyes rest on the footage of a grey, heaving ocean below. Ensuring that while he could not take direct action, his behaviour was exactly what his captors would expect. There was no need to fake a pensive expression as he watched a small yacht riding the swell and an S-class submarine holding a position meters off her stern, he knew what was coming, this was the quiet before the storm. With no boarding party in the water, those on the smaller vessel had not yet raised their arms or a white flag to admit defeat. No doubt counting on the promised back up Scott surmised, as guilt washed over him. Waves of nausea hit, the headache reaching a blinding crescendo maybe, but more so, he admitted to himself, his haste at delighting in moving away from the aircraft. He had minutes before calculated that some lives were worth more than others. The small party of submariners on the cone and deck of the S-class prepping the boarding party would soon be fending off a mechanical arsenal that they could hardly be prepared for. As the footage concentrated on the larger vessel he could see that the scurrying seafarers banked on the fire power of the deck cannon as a deterrent against action from the unthreatening yacht. Not one of them brandished a side-arm, not that there was a target in view, the yacht had battened down the hatches and not a soul graced her deck.

As Scott continued to watch he was relieved that the hired muscle only gave the occasional cursory look in his direction. The bald maniac and his bear-sized lapdog had not turned their attention from the main screen. For the newly reacquainted allies target practice for their new toys was obviously too much of a draw. With quiet and compliant prisoners displaying little will or strength, they afforded them little reverence. Scott would make them regret that as soon as he had an opportunity. He heard the release of the missiles before they appeared on the viewer, and he silently celebrated as they missed their target. The deck cannon swung away from the yacht, pointing at the direction the fire came from, with the lack of return fire Scott could safely assume that The Hood had not revealed the behemoth to the eyes below. He knew that even if the GDF had shared intelligence though its military factions, it was unlikely in the time frame since first view at North Island that the GDF would have a weapon ready to combat what was coming. His heart sank, the men springing to action below were dead men walking.

He briefly glanced to his father, who stared transfixed, almost glazed over and was starting to slump against the back of the chair. He was aging before Scott's eyes, the initial adrenalin of their reunion now beaten back by years of emotional and physical hardship which was displayed all over his sallow complexion. His eyes drifted to his wrist comm. Only seconds had passed but his patience was wearing thin. Eos would have been able to decipher information from the kits processing unit in a nanosecond. Nevertheless, time was not the enemy here and if his father sensed a shift in their favour Scott was in no doubt he would straighten his back and regain some of his earlier vigour. He was tempted to go with his gut and sacrifice the comm to open the circuit, but he would never forgive himself if it had the capability to deliver more than a painful warning shock. If the hardware had a built in tamper contingency it was back to the drawing board with a faded marker and little idea. He turned back to his father; his voyeuristic study felt a betrayal of the father he remembered. A man used to delivering orders, never without a plan B, or an ear when they needed reassurance in out in the field or back at home, the anchor ripped from their lives. He hadn't, until now, allowed himself to admit how much he missed their heated debates, consolatory chats or even silences after tough call. In his father's stead he'd felt duty bound to take on the mantle and deliver his own version to his brothers, fully aware that meant his own needs should be repressed. Of course it was the nature of them both that Grandma and Virgil did the same for him, but he rarely hit full disclosure, the need to protect them more virulent than his own need to unburden. With his father he could unload, shed tears and take his anger out without fear of passing anything on. He hoped to god when all this was over that they got back to the life he remembered.

It occurred to Scott that they had been so lost in their own grief, that past the original, two dimensional rational that he had to be alive; they hadn't really considered that if that was the case, what he would be faced with. In returning to normal life, they had given up on this man and that stung more harshly than any of his bodies reactions to the beating he had received on the shell of the giant craft. His guilty eyes moved from his father back to the screen. The actions of those unaware of the airborne visitor doing little to sway his train of thought which was spiralling with each regret as they hit hard and punished his failure to find him. He remembered that it had taken eight months for John to return to the island. That visit lasted the sum total of 1 hour and 36 minutes. He hadn't even taken a seat, it had been a visit paced in agitation, his brother eager to get back to a search that they all knew he was continuing, while their physical forays in an ever outwardly increasing diameter had finally stalled. They had let him go without word in opposition and didn't pressure a return. In his own time, that visit was repeated, became more frequent and eventually he relaxed with them. The family had celebrated John's first steps back to them, rather than acknowledging what that actually meant. He was the last of them, without verbalising, at some point, even though each regularly made a statement to the contrary, they had all written their father off as dead. John was a natural loner, if his brother had another catastrophic event in his life, Scott felt certain the family would lose him for good. And they had already been through enough god damned heartache to last a lifetime. If he and his father did not make it home, John needed someone. And whilst his brothers were always there, Eos provided friendship, John's salvation would be in a significant other, Ridley. It allowed absolution for his initial celebration at the targeting of the seafarers below. The men below had trained for hostile action and no doubt reinforcements were en-route from the second the missile was fired. Selfish, yes, but sometimes you had to be.

He leaned into the back of his father as the warm, friendly glow of diagnostics hit the small screen on his wrist. An antidote to the mental overdrive his brain had engaged in, an action of his own confirmed, accompanied by the rush of natures focusing hit clearing the searing sharpness in his head into a dull ache. The stream of data was digested and internally celebrated. As per design, stun a prisoner into compliance, not reconfigured, limited voltage and no tamper function. For the first time he risked a whispered conversation with his father.

"So, you went out for cigarettes and never came home."

It was greeted with a grin.

"Scotch actually."

Scott looked up, the brief dialogue had gone unnoticed; he returned his father's smile.

"Ready to try something?" Small inroad maybe but a morale booster nonetheless and judging by the change in posture of his father, it was infectious.

"Better than being an armchair participant."

"We'll only know if it works for sure if he sends a belt. And the point of this is that I get the chance to make them want to. You sure?"

"One hundred percent. Do it!"

Scott moved his wrist com carefully under the manacles onto the wrist of his father. If he couldn't get him out of them yet, but for now the resistance flow interrupter supplied by his kit should negate the power the restraints had over him. If this worked, and he had no intention yet of drawing attention away from the screen to prove the theory, then when it came to action he would have one less consequence to worry about. If he had to stage a distraction on the inside to stop this craft assisting in sending another plane into the ocean when this side-action was over, then he goddamned could and would. The deed done, an anticlimax hit, there was no longer a rush adrenalin, just a burst of nervous energy as the waiting game continued, shredding his nerves like a man all-in with only a low grade pair and a silent prayer. His attention turned to little noticed footage on the bottom right of the screen, his sleek silver bird captured on live feed by the dispatched drones.

"Virgil." Scott whispered nudging his father's leg with his shoulder.

His father turned his attention to the direction of his son's gaze, "things have gone all sorts of crazy in my absence."

"You have no idea!" Scott returned. "Sit tight. If we do anything it has to be when it's of benefit to the others. And Dad …. The best shot they'll have is us bringing this craft down. Submerge intact and Gordon got a shot at retrieval, if she breaks on impact and we survive, we'll only have minutes in the water at these temperatures."

"FAB." His father responded allowing smile; the apple sure didn't fall far from the tree.

They were jolted back to the present with another release of fire power surging from the beast. Again a miss, this time to the right, then within a split second another to the left of the bow. Something did not sit right with Scott, one miss, setting your sights; two was clumsy at best, more like inept and these two had not shown anything to paint them as comedy villains so far. With four now launched and none with five meters of the target this had to be calculated. Only waves and spray had been created, little to trouble the yacht, let alone the pride of the GDF seaborne fleet. Then it became clear as the missiles breached the surface, breaking free like an orca pod at play. They opened their payload doors to release an army of small metallic crab-like objects which were swarming towards the S-class. The submariners, panicked at the unfathomable threat, were now breaking out of the hatch onto the deck to join their comrades. Shooting off round after round into the ocean, trying in vain to limit the numbers trying to join the few attached that were eating their boat alive. Scott was grateful that sound did not accompany the pictures on the screen. While all eyes were still on the main screen, Scott's eyes were drawn like moths to a flame to the smaller screen showing little more than clouds, but the occasional glint of silver held them there with his heart in his mouth.

…..

The jubilation of his impending marriage could have been calculated in a few seconds, hardly fitting considering the time it had taken to get to 'status engaged'. But brief congratulations received from his co-pilot were all that could be afforded. Gordon was in absolutely no doubt about his euphoria, but it was back to business and immediate focus. They would get Ridley on terra firms, gift his brother a swift reunion then return to a base that held the secret to that bastards plans. With the help of the GDF he was certain he would be returning with the best engagement present all for his future wife, a father-in-law and brother-in-law. On the day that Gordon Tracy got engaged he would allow nothing to taint it.

"Thunderbird Two, Thunderbird One is in position shadowing AM5431, 500ft above. No immediate cause for concern. Drones five minutes from target. ETA?" Virgil questioned, taking a holographic position alongside their Five operative in the cockpit of Two.

"Five minutes." The blond pilot confirmed.

"I'll take the heat until you get here. Incoming wave won't know what to target."

"Anything on Five's scanners indicating the mothership. We are reading nothing?" John asked the ride-along scientist.

"Nothing." Brains confirmed.

"Virgil is your alpha mech in place?" John asked, turning away from the holo-brief as he was distracted by the vibration of his phone.

 _Understood Tracy. Thanks for the intel. But Air Marshalls don't come with a badge. Need a heads up on row and seat from Eos.'_

John smiled, _She'll send it direct to you. I'll confirm when threat terminated. You get strapped in once the pilot is assured of our assistance._

 _Strapped in eh? Guess we get some white knuckle action. By the way, great to be working with you again x'_

Not so great from where John was sitting but if Ridley was treating this like some sort of adventure at least he didn't have to worry about her state of mind.

"Lowering altitude now to make the drop onto the fuselage. Protocol confirmed. Target the alpha and the others should default to standby." Virgil answered.

"Should?" John barked his reply to Virgil, but his eyes were pinned on Five's command.

"T…testing proved the theory." The scientist confirmed. "The alpha holds key c..command function they d…duplicate its target and action."

"Then the incoming nine is actually a threat of one." John summed up, risking a smile to his pilot.

"Glad you've narrowed the odds, because I have eyes on. 12 O'clock. 3,000 feet below. Gonna have to show them some silver. You need to take up the shadow position above and time to give my girl her heavy lifting duties, attach grapples When the drones attach we want her already in the catch-mitt." Virgil instructed.

"FAB. Less than two minutes and you have back-up." Gordon confirmed. "We have six clones on board if we need them, don't keep yours for a rainy day." Gordon added, fully aware that Virgil had supervised the loading of the arsenal onto Two. But somehow a reminder with two minutes between the crafts seemed essential.

…..

Capt. Ridley O'Bannon had orders and thank god for that. Whilst her head ran with scenario after scenario, processing the targeting of the Edinburgh flight and making the jump to the situation she found herself in. Orders meant some of her fate was in her own hands. She had been given the intel seconds after her last communiqué with John by the AI residing in her favourite habitat. Air Marshall one, Row 2 seat C, number two, Row 32 Seat D. The professor was in front, and while unaware of his new status as a target, him sending a communication of his own was an unnecessary risk. She decided on a trip to the rear, pull the galley screen across and get one of the cabin crew to bring the Air Marshall to her. After all she didn't want the panic of civilians to add to their problems, news leaked from planes in trouble all the time.

The male cabin crew member, no more than early twenties, busy stowing utensils away was easy to persuade. With simple request for a marshall, after airing vague concerns about a passenger, a man in his fifties, that had obviously seen service, was presented.

"Nate Stevens miss. How can I help?"

"Captain." Ridley flicked her credentials, she hated pulling rank but it was a necessity to get the point across. The face of the man instantly responded, she had his undivided attention. "I need a line to the pilot. International Rescue are babysitting this flight, they were called too late to assist in the rescue of passengers of a plane under attack in this vicinity. Intelligence suggests it's not an isolated attack. I need the seat belt sign on and no communication with the ground. There may be a little turbulence with a Thunderbird so close. If there is any noise from their equipment attaching, he comes up with a viable 'nothing to worry about' statement. We do not wish to cause unnecessary alarm, Nate. Panic in confined spaces is never good. Ask your friend in Row Two to ride along in the cockpit and feed information back to us. IR will hail the cockpit."

She watched the man process and respond in seconds. When this was over, and for nothing more than being her go-to-guy, she was gonna buy this man a drink.

"Y's ma'am." Stopping just short of a clack of heals and salute the air marshall picked up the intercom and relayed the message. Ridley had no doubt that by proxy she and Nate were now in charge of flight AM5431. She watched as a female cabin crew member approach row 2 and indicated to the man in C to take a walk with her to the front on the plane. Nate Stevens was her only lifeline to live-time intelligence and she was sticking to him like glue. They commandeered the crew seats in the rear galley just as the plane shuddered and dropped a few metres. Just the turbulence she told herself. Seat belts signs pinged and the calm voice of the captain made his announcement.

….

Virgil left the drone in place and shot across the top of the fuselage, did a circular and dropped altitude 1,000 feet below and in front of the liner, placing his adoptive bird in-between her and the onslaught. His scanners showed the formation breaking, the lead with three headed straight him and a lead with four behind broke left, gaining altitude before turning back to the plane.

"Looks like we have a problem. Two alphas! You in position shadowing the flight from above?" Virgil slowed his speech to keep his voice steady.

"We have another situation." Eos cut in "Five is being hailed by Trident. There's a secondary attack. They're requesting immediate assistance, hull breached and is taking on water."

"Virgil no-one is leaving Ridley!" John barked. "We're above firing lines now. You don't leave until those bastards are fish food."

"Never crossed my mind." Virgil stated calmly. Easy call, there were 122 souls including the one that meant so much to his brother and he was not going to lose any of them. "Eos, inform the Colonel we have a life threatening situation of our own to deal with first. She has resources she can deploy in the meantime."

"FAB" the AI responded hoping that John appreciated the sentiment.

"Brains monitor both situations, as soon as this is under control Thunderbird One will assist. And contact the pilot; we need him to drop from cruising altitude to 8'000 feet in case of breach. Slow and steady nothing heroic. Gordon lines loose and mirror his movement, Two taking control now and the passengers will be faced with the pirate-ship ride from hell. And update ATC they need to pull all flights from this vicinity and ground all air traffic."

With his last instruction, Virgil hit a burst of speed pulling those targeting him away from the main action. As with Scott they shadowed every manoeuvre, matching him with each increase in thrust. Even pulling G's hitting vertical climbs and nose dives they stuck with him. In anything else he would have been a dead man. Then the scanners died, nothing following. Shit! They'd gone back to their original target; he banked hard right to punch through where their last signal had been received to return to the plane.

"Thunderbird Shadow is go! "Woo hoo." Alan celebrated. "Great shot sis!"

Alan's voice was jubilant over the comms. Then he revealed himself in the cockpit, Virgil knew back at home his little brother had been itching to feel part of the action and it looked like he'd got his wish. VR goggles hid his eyes, which he was certain were sparkling with delight. Virgil had never been happier to owe his little brother anything.

"Missiles were a great idea. Shadow may be home to one actual pilot, but the VR crew is limitless. Brought along my gunner"

"She's my baby, wasn't gonna sit this one out." Their sister broke in on the comms. Virgil grinned. "Brains wouldn't release a second set of goggles for fear of sensory overload, so I'm feet up with a controller giving a game of real-life-dogfight an expert eye. Feed is as clear as if I was in the cockpit. Voice comms only but I'm here."

"First shot, took out the alpha." Alan exclaimed enjoying the win. "Released one of our own drones and the three little followers took swim with their new momma."

"You did good kid, keep an eye on fuel we didn't get a chance to top her up." Virgil stated.

We'll set down on fumes, we're not pulling out until absolutely necessary." Kayo confirmed, "besides, I'm having far too much fun to save this level and play another day." She added.

"John, you got your situation under control." Virgil asked, bringing himself out of the infectious enthusiasm of the comms display in front of him and back to the live situation. He could forgive the armchair reinforcements for their celebration but this was not over yet.

"Our drone only pulled the beta's out of the action, they're inert but the alpha has kept protocol and is making its way to the aft section." John confirmed.

"Got eyes on, with you in ten seconds," Virgil confirmed sensing the rising panic in his brother's voice.

"Kayo can you target the alpha." Virgil questioned.

"Negative Virgil. I take the shot and I've done the job for them."

"What's his altitude?" Virgil questioned.

"18,000ft." The scientist confirmed. "For those passengers in the tail section any breach in the fuselage would be c…catastrophic at this a…altitude."


	49. Chapter 49

Ch 49

For Ridley there was little else left but deep seated frustration. Sit back, strap in and let it all play-out around you, was not a comfortable default for the fasted promoted Captain of the GDF Space Corps. Only seconds had past but they stretched out, each taking on their own lifetime as she felt the genteel descent of their transport. She had heard the familiar metallic clang of grapples attach, but she was equally aware that thus far, the plane was flying under its own power. She could imagine the safety lines loose; taking no strain as the heavy lifter of her new friend's fleet matched their movement through the air like the Canadian gold-winning synchronised swimming team had recently done to perfection in the water. She touched the side of the cabin, imagining her life-force entering the metal, running through the lines and into the cockpit of the green beast above. Was John aware of the sentiment? Did he feel their proximity as tantalising as she? 'Phooey!' She admonished herself silently. This was hardly time for a teenage moment while both were separately in the thick of an action.

She wished she had an eye on the external to quell her wandering mind. One eye on the situation on the outside and such thoughts would never have had time and space to enter her head. She cast her eyes through the narrow door to the main cabin to those unaware of how close this flight had come to disaster. A few of them, encouraged by the descent, petulantly ignoring the seat belt signs and lifting a bag from the overhead stowage, no doubt hoping to get the jump on the other passengers at the airport. If the cabin crew hadn't at that moment sprung to their feet to regain order, Ridley would've thrown a few sharp words down the gangway and followed it up with her infamous hairdryer that turned raw recruits to a 'yes ma'am' brigade within seconds.

Just as she rolled her eyes to the man at the side of her, whose hand equally clasped his buckle ready to intervene and take control of the cabin, the pace and pitch of the flight changed dramatically. Her heart rate increased in tandem. Sweat beaded, but that was uncontrolled, she would give nothing else away to confirm the fear building inside now the descent and angle were enough to alarm the strongest of stomachs. Nate cast a worried look in her direction, mirrored sweat forming on his own brow, the intercom to the captain tightly grasped in one hand, as the other now stalled at releasing his restraints.

"S'ok miss, I mean, Captain. The pilot is now in contact, and whatever is targeting us, he's just witnessed one being blown from the sky. IR branching out as a privateer airborne delta-force?"

Ridley smiled. Not much she could say to that. IR had certainly changed its brief since her couple of day's tour of duty.

The turbulence increased and she indicated to the returning cabin crew fighting the angle to hurry and take one of the empty seats that they themselves had vacated in favour of the crew's own seats minutes before. If nothing else the silence as the engines were killed and the flight was controlled by another unseen force had the wayward passengers back under control and seated with colour draining from their faces. The crew had barely fastened in when there was a gut wrenching crunch of metal directly above her. Then a natural light that should not be there broke a small shaft through into the cabin. The descent increased in speed as the nose started to point towards the earth, before the plane swung violently upwards on the lines. The air started to rush through the cabin towards its small escape, decompression was something she had trained for, but even so her inner exclamation matched the intensity of the growing screams of the passengers. Ridley felt the pressure try lift her out of her seat, her ears popped, muffling the screams that now filled the cabin as more were encouraged by each new set of lungs adding their voice to the throng. Oxygen masks dropped and the cabin crew loosened their straps and stood shouting clear instructions to their designated rows, their training for such a situation masking any fear they had. After all the movies didn't tend to get it right, and even a few feet away from a small breach and a strong grip was all that was required, hardly a fact a drama would be interested in.

Braving the nose down 10 degree then flip as the tail rose once again on their pendulous ride, two of the crew members at the front released their lap-restraints completely and patrolled their designated sections, assisting passengers frozen with fear with their masks. Ridley cast a nervous eye above, the breach growing in size slowly as metallic claws grasped and crunched metal like tissue paper. At the rate the metal was succumbing, anyone not strapped in within a few feet of the newly formed sunroof could be sucked clean through! She shouted to the crew to retake their seats but her voice was lost in the melee of sound. She took the handset from her new found No 2, breathlessly relaying a message to the captain before affixing her mask to take a lungful of precious air. Within seconds, the voice of the captain took charge of the cabin.

"Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We have hit some bad weather, please remain calm while we get underneath it. We will descend to 10'000 ft and then begin our approach to an emergency landing in Bergen. International Rescue have control of the flight. We are in safe hands. The oxygen is **not** a precaution; please affix your own masks before assisting others. Cabin Crew, to your seats."

Once masks were safely in place applause rounded the cabin, an infectious ripple running from the front, those two magic words had stilled the panic, aided by the plastic masked life giver, the human noise died down. Those at the back were not as lucky and the wave of support died in the last ten or so rows. Ridley could hear prayers as they looked over their shoulders, taking in the additional light and what it meant. There was some whimpering, some were lifting their masks to vomit where they sat, but there was no screaming now. As the last of the oxygen pulled through inside of the cabin took advantage of its call to freedom, passenger's hair flailed wildly in the wind tunnel. The plane took another large swing on the safety lines and Ridley found herself praying that the magic figure of 10'000ft would be reached in a matter of seconds, allowing for a more leisurely descent to wheels down. A wheels down, that came with a reunion that she had hoped would bring an adrenalin rush for entirely different reasons.

Her plea to the heavens over, to distract herself Ridley studied Nate. She was inwardly fuming that IR had been mentioned within earshot of the professor that had made her presence on this flight a necessity. If he had made contact, the orchestrators would be sure to be apprised of the situation on the flight. Giving valuable intelligence that may put the brothers at increased risk.

She took a deep breath, then lifted her mask, "Nate, there is a person of interest on board that the GDF have been monitoring. You think your friend in the cockpit could move him to the front section in restraints as soon as we level out." Over the noise of the breach she had almost screamed the instruction, a few nervous faces in the last few rows turned to look at her. She made an apologetic smile. Before she could shout any assurances, there was a clangour and clash from above, the hole doubled in size and an insect like face with thrusting mandibles peered into the galley.

….

Virgil circled the tandem craft with his younger brother remote piloting Shadow in his wake. They'd taken a fly-by while he considered the limited options available. Ditching Two and its cradle lift to assist with the GDF problem was not an option while the stricken craft had deadly limpets attached. The alpha mech had breached the fuselage adjacent to the tail section, two of the others held key positions where the wings joined the frame, the last two were attached to the glass on the cockpit. The four beta's were thankfully inert while receiving the standby instruction from their own Mech, but their presence was enough to have the field commander nervous. Anymore reinforcements from the mothership could reactivate the idle bystanders. They were still a couple of thousand feet from the desired safe altitude that would negate serious casualties from the sole instigator of the damage, and they were still a few hundred miles from a safe put down site. There had to be something that would take the threat completely out of the picture. Allow him freedom in all good conscious to head to the rescue they had actually been hailed to assist with. But there was nothing springing immediately to mind, with unfamiliar kit at his fingertips and Two busy babysitting, … That was it, Two! May not be at his own fingertips but she had ….

"Gordon, you should be able to get the bay doors open safely with the lines attached, deploy the grabbing arms. Pick those bastards off one by one, starting with the alpha!"

"Can try, but manoeuvrability of the arms is limited by the lines. John will have easy pickings with the two on the wings. Fore and aft … well, we're gonna need a plan B." The new commander of Two confirmed.

"F-A-B"

Virgil continued his circular patrol. Watching his red-haired brother's progress on the pressurised grabbing game he'd been volunteered by his brother for. Like every state fair they'd attended as kids, John made sure he went home with the prize. Only this time, he extended the victorious arms over the side of the fuselage of their charge, then released his less than cuddly acquisitions to the ocean below.

….Two down, three to go. Any ideas Brains? John ? Al?" The Field Commander immediately followed up, while taking up a shadow position on the port side of his girl.

"We're out unless they're in open sky, even then and even with dead-eye Kyrano, the payloads down to one." His youngest brother confirmed, his tone adopting a familiar seriousness now the adrenalin had worn off.

"we… cou..," The scientist stalled.

Virgil sensed a reluctance to make a suggestion on a live test subject, let alone 200 plus souls and the flagship of the Thunderbird fleet but he knew pressing a man waging a full-on pro and con warfare in his brain would be counter-productive. He would give him time; the passengers were safe enough for now. He kept his speed and one eye on the clock. Al would be risking heading into land on fumes if he stayed out with them much longer. He maybe had only minutes before he forced him to retreat to save a heavy salvage bill.

Virgil waited; he could see the scientist's cogs whirring, steps forward as the grey matter grabbed onto the idea, then a retreat that stopped its verbalisation. He was already there, he knew him well enough for that. Just something holding him back, too much time to think without an immediate threat to life, something the scientist was not familiar with unless in his lab.

"Good job Gordon. Close her up, you've done what you can. we're hitting the 11,000ft mark, keep her slow and steady on descent now, we'll take her to Bergen International. Put the airport on alert for multiple casualties. Brains talk me through the cons. I'm only leaving Two if all those bastards join the others in the ocean."

"We r..risk losing comms with the p..pilot. They won't be able to c…communicate with us or ATC. And we risk the c…controls in the cockpit, even adjusting flaps, or deploying landing gear may not be possible if the close range r…radiation fries his controls." The Scientist confirmed

"Now tell me what we did to cause that scenario." Virgil probed, an edge sneaking into his voice. "And Brains, this bird isn't going to make a text book landing, more like a vertical belly down. And, Two'll be their voice with the ground."

"EMF blast above 30 megahertz. Ensure they can't receive a s…secondary c…command programme, they would reflect any c…communication rather than receive them. Have to be close quarters though, but S…shadow has the c…capability"

Virgil considered his options. "Alan how much flying time til Shadow needs to re-fuel?"

"Got seven minutes of comfort before we have to head in, anything more and super-shot here will be having kittens." The blond stated, a little of the original fun returning to his voice.

"One last contingency, then you and I are outta here." Virgil confirmed "You think you could fly between Two's grapples and give our friends an EMF blast, shut those bastards down once and for all."

"With my eyes closed." The young blond confirmed.

"Gordon, shields up to protect Two and appraise the pilot his comms are about to go down. Get him to drop the landing gear now, and adjust the lines for the increased drag" The Field Commander ordered.

"F-A-B. Keep 'em open Sprout," The red-head busted in. "Slice through any of our lines and the passengers are in for one helluv a rough ride. And the getting this bird on the ground in one piece… " John's voice broke, ….."Just be careful Alan!"

"Ditto!" Their sister encored. "She's out on loan. Not a scratch pilot, or this gunner will come gunning for you, and you're two feet away and can't run!"

Gordon laughed, the gifted interlude allowing relief, "we got miles before landfall kiddo, we don't wanna turn an eventful day, which will _eventually_ be recounted as an adventure by those on board, into a vomit-comet horror story that will give them nightmares forever." He turned to his co-pilot who was taking the first real oxygen giving breaths in eight minutes. "We'll have her on the ground in thirty."

The plane swung gently like a babe on its first visit to the playground as Gordon made adjustment to allow Thunderbird Shadow to make the cross wing flyby, Al hit her Vitol's to hover in the snug space, before detonating a short burst of electromagnetic radiation down onto the fuselage. Shifting the direction of his thrust he punched out into the sky lifting her nose to the air and waggling her wings for his brothers.

"Re-call our drone, see if she responds." Virgil ordered the pilot of Two.

"Drone recalled." Gordon responded, "no interaction. Both ours and theirs are redundant, caput, worth the scrap value only. Without a full-systems overhaul, he aint getting those fuc…. fundamentally well designed, and in the right hands, useful objects back." Saved the faux pa in the nick of time, Penny and grandma would no doubt be listening in.

Brains sniggered, the infectious celebration reaching mission control, if Eos had the capabilities, it would have been high fives all round on Five "Then if you can r…retrieve any of those fuc .. f..undamentally well designed mechs, then my lab will put them to good use. G…good job everyone." He was swelling with pride, he had taken on his first official and now successful mission control duty on a live rescue, and it had been exhilarating. Felt he'd done quite a good job himself.

"Alan we'll leave Two to it, you head in, land Shadow and get on the comms to bag some fuel. May need you yet kiddo, and if they'll donate a spare missile to even out your payload then all the better. I'm gonna check if they still need my help at the sub."

"I'll take up the negotiations with the GDF for additional firepower." Their sister confirmed, figuring it was the least the GDF owed them. "We officially still on VR mission then?" She added to their Field Commander, blasting that drone from the sky had been the best she had felt in over a week. Nothing quite like a return to someone you recognise to lift you from the fog of enforced inactivity. Felt invincible, victorious, and could see how she could work round being grounded by this miracle piece of kit that Brains had donated from his lab. All she needed now was Scott and her father home, her focus was now on her communication with the Colonel, she would not only be demanding hardware but a full brief of the findings on the ground.

"Then Thunderbird One and Shadow are headed back in. One will take a look-see at the situation the GDF are handling. Brains patch me in to Colonel Casey." Virgil instructed Five.

"See ya within the hour. As soon as we got a certain passenger loaded to relocate to the base we will be with you for the brief." Gordon confirmed, as he watched the others leave their airspace. "You OK bro?" He added taking another look to his co-pilot. "We got them, she'll be in your arms before you know it."

"Shut up Squid!" The red-head playfully retaliated, his smiling features exuding relief.

"Why don't you give her a call?" Gordon ventured, all too aware of what healing a few brief words with the one you love could do.

"As you put it 'I'll be seeing her in half an hour'" John commented, a blush gracing his pale cheeks.

"I get it ..I get it …. not with an audience! Take a stroll to the hold, do an inventory otherwise known as … phone the goddamned woman of your dreams and let her know you care."

"Inventory has merits, never know what kit we may need." The red-head smiled as he unclipped. Ruffling his partner's hair as left the cockpit to make his way into blessed privacy.

….

The Mechanic watched the battle between his mecha and the resilient crew of the dying S Class rage below. His instincts itching to send a missile down to finish the job quickly but The Hood stayed his hand. Treating them like goddamned test subjects, trying to find a weakness in the work he had done, while he had been sat on his arse enjoying three square meals and plenty of alone time. He bit his fury down, turning his attention to the proven fleet of airborne drones. Any minute and they would be gifting another celebration, proving his indispensible status at the right hand of the soon to be toppled mastermind. After only a matter of hours in his company he had become certain that once the weapon was in place, there would be a fatal accident to befall the irritant beside him. He turned away from the screens to look at the prisoners; all he had needed were the co-ordinates. If he'd managed to get his hands on Tracy One undamaged, he would not have needed to go ahead with the rescue plan. Dammit! But all good things come to those that wait. He downsized the screen showing the final death knell of the submarine, bringing the smaller screen to the fore of split-screen entertainment.

Static.

Flicked from drone to drone to find footage uploaded to the data cache. Even if they had ditched with the plane they should have something to mark their glourious awakening. Frustrated by the lack of live comms with his children he trawled the archive to the last clear shot on camera. Then rewound the feed and replayed the footage showing all three of the airbourne Thunderbird fleet then Thunderbird Shadow flying over-head before the feed died.

"I think we have a problem." He reluctantly admitted to the man at the side of him. Who, short of popcorn, was currently enjoying the death and destruction on the small screen like an avid film geek.

The Hood's head spun towards his cohort, "I don't need problems."

Taken literally, silence followed.

"Tell me then imbecile!" The Hood continued when illumination was not forthcoming.

The flight has been rescued by the Thunderbirds.

The Hood ignored the whoops of delight coming from the Tracy prisoners.

"Not going your own way?" Jeff enquired, a little less than innocently.

"Too bad. Guess, right time, right place an all. You wondered what your friend here has done in your absence. Enough to get you and your plans on-radar wouldn't you say?" Scott added. A risky barb for sure, but about time he tested his handiwork. And he was right judging by the puzzled expression on The Mechanics face as he swung his arms violently and waited for a response from the elder Tracy that would never come.

"We really need both?" The frustrated man-mountain snarled at his companion. Deflecting the lack of jeopardy for the Tracy's, and now intensely annoyed by their presence.

The Hood smiled, "We have a contingency on the ground to mop up any unforeseen mess." He looked pointedly at his number two, "We make the trip earlier than planned, collect the hardware and we hit the homestead while it is left defended by the mouthy old crone and the old friend you are so eager to be reacquainted with. I think we can afford to drop one off onto a sinking ship."

"Which one?" The Mechanic questioned, hardly able to mask the glee in his voice. Someone paying the ultimate price for his loss of precious hardware, … almost worth the loss to get his hands this dirty.

The Hood laughed, "Always good to keep the newer model, but I have to admit I did get a little attached to my old adversary."

He made a show of pointing from one to the other is a childish game of ip dip do.

"Get them to their feet." The Hood commanded to the hired help.

Scott's face paled as they were frogmarched into the loading bay and it became apparent which of them were superfluous to requirements. The Hood now forcefully pushing his father by the shoulders towards the Hercules-like tail lift opening herself to the world outside. Scott edged towards the open sky, his hair buffeted by the wind. The craft would have to be showing itself to the yacht and the S Class lifeboats he had last witnessed bobbing in the swell as their boat finally succumbed to the bombardment, but if nothing else there was now a signal pinging on Five. He imagined the frightened faces of the few survivors as water sprayed down on them as the beasts engines whipped up the water as he watched his father led towards the ramp. Just one push and he would be gone.

"No!" Scott screamed dropping to the floor to retrieve the gun from his boot. Fired three rounds, took the two goons out of the game for good before firing off a shot winging a retreating Mechanic. Then, with barely a beat between thought and action, and taking full advantage of the precious seconds gifted by surprise, he fired a forth shot at The Hood. He span, clutching his upper arm, now using his father as a shield and barking orders for The Mechanic to order all hands to the loading bay. Scott fired a grapple from his bandolier into the clothes of his father. Ran full pelt, allowing the feed to shorten, he elbowed the injured Hood in the chest, before grabbing his father and taking a 40ft leap of faith into the icy water below.


	50. Chapter 50

Ch 50

John found a seat in loading bay and took out his phone. Cradling it for a minute, he leant against the cold metal of the hull and he mentally coached himself. He had privacy but that gave too much freedom to make unguarded declarations. Feelings born from the torrent of emotions experienced in the last hour. Something he had yet to regain control over.

But.

He could have lost her!

That thought was becoming a constant companion, spiralling around, taunting, and twisting a knife of alternate fate. The ' _what if_ ' And, _if_ ….. John was certain, as he closed his eyes allowing the vibration through his back and into his chest, that his life would grey and he'd never see in colour again. The pause to the background of the gentle thrum of the craft, the few minutes' peace captured to calm his rapidly beating heart was only serving only increase it.

She was only feet below him, tantalisingly close, but spill everything? Was it high risk to scaring the woman off? After all these were his feelings. Short of a promised date and kiss, well ok, she'd said snog, definitely indicating something more passionate than a peck on the lips. But still, they'd so far only flirted; perhaps that statement was part of a game. On Five, when she's returned from commandeering satellites for IR use, they'd spent hours trawling data to the backdrop of teasing banter. A teasing banter they had both easily claimed as a friendship when her tour of duty was over and they'd parted ways at the Island.

If he was wrong and he made a stupid declaration during this call, it didn't bear thinking about. Friendship would be hard to reclaim when the balance of feeling was weighted down by complex emotion on one side. After all they hadn't really talked, didn't even _really_ know each other. Yet, he could no longer imagine a life in which she did not exist. Did she feel the same?

Too many questions! Ordinarily John liked questions; answers were usually already stored in his cerebral filing cabinet or at the end of his fingertips supplied by a friend of his own creation. Communications limited to facts with no emotion involved. That was his comfort zone.

Facts. John liked facts, but unless he was prepared to key in that number, he would receive no answers. But what if he didn't like the answer?

The phone in his hand remained redundant.

One thing John was not comfortable with was making a complete ass of himself. He couldn't imagine any of his brothers taking so long to pluck up courage to merely chat. Scott would have probably taken a little external jaunt and made a dramatic entrance through the hole created by the giant insect. Not his style. Ridley probably wouldn't appreciate it, come to think of it neither would the other passengers who had had more than enough excitement to last a lifetime. Virgil would have no problems with a simple phone call, had most women swooning at the sound of his rich, confident voice. Gordon wore his heart on his sleeve. Well except for Lady P during their prolonged pre-courtship phase. Maybe in his little brother's experience there was an important lesson. These things were not that easy when all was invested and you had everything to lose. Still, he may not be the Tracy with heavy duty back catalogue of conquests, but there was something that told him that their flirting was much more than a playful ego boost for the both of them.

His palms were sweating, greasing up the sides of the device he was locked in battle with. It was just a phone call, but they were minutes from landing. Should he wait for the in-person greeting? Test the water with the strength of feeling at their physical reunion? But on the flipside she'd been to hell and back in the last hour. Would someone in love with her wait? Gordon obviously thought not. Surely when someone who consumed the majority of waking thought was in trouble you reached out as soon as you could.

Rewind _…._

 _In love with her_?

That stalled him for a moment. He'd made an unconscious leap to a now tantalising question. He was not pondering a simple attraction.

 _In love with her? Was he?_

Shit!

In that case he maybe seconds away from nursing a broken heart, a part of his body he had always protected by abstinence. Once the thought was planted the need to know in the lull of the current shitstorm grew with the vibration of the craft as she came in for final approach.

Final approach. Now or never.

The woman consuming his thoughts was on six months leave. Six months when an attractive woman like her could take her pick of suitor. Once they landed the craft the GDF and local authorities would take over. Red tape may mean his had to leave her at Bergen International as she made a witness statement and he took apart the data cache of a megalomaniac. Seconds away from her being pulled in one direction and he in another. He owed her this phone call, he owed a future them this phone call, before time and circumstances distanced them enough to lose this. Whatever _this_ was. Pulling back, rationally, he couldn't be in love with her. Not after only a week. But the more he thought about it there was no denying that there was something inexplicable creeping up on him. Feelings compounded by desperation and horror when her plane was targeted. That was it, just an over-reaction to the recent stress. His fingers found the keypad. He took a deep breath and mentally rehearsed an appropriate opener that betrayed nothing of the wrestle it had taken him to connect the call.. Just making sure a friend is ok he decided on. Anything else he was sure to get a hint of by her reaction to him at the airport.

"Tracy! You took your time! Thanks for the ride by the way, prefer the papoose hold to the feet wet and gasping for breath." Ridley giggled. His heart soared at the sound, his mouth dried and words were tantalising lost on the tip of his tongue.

He heard the unmistakable sound of a breath being taken behind a mask. Shit! She was removing her mask to talk to him!

But then again…

SHE WAS REMOVING HER LIFEGIVING MASK JUST TO TALK TO HIM!

He took his own breath, smiled, he couldn't help the reaction. He had an ear for a laugh that may be influenced by something other than relief. She was something else! "O'bannon. Are you drunk?" John questioned, finding safe ground in a subject matter that freed him from any emotional commitment.

"Couple of shots with ol' Air Marshall Nate here … _no offense meant with the ol' Nate_ … figured as there was no one supervising the drinks cart conveniently stowed at arm's length that we deserved a shot or two. Especially, after our creative dispatching of the metallic freak-sect."

John allowed a moment of silence to allow Ridley more than a lungful of air.

"Only two shots?" He enquired, now with what he could only imagine was an unattractive grin on his face, "and I thought the bug shut down unexpectedly after our EMF burst to limit their comms. Watcha do?"

This was easy, why had he put it off? Every conversation he'd ever had with her felt like he'd known her for years. Not in hours that were nowhere close to halfway to breaching quadruple figures.

"Three actually. One to toast IR, one to toast life, and one to toast the fact our ride-along-pal don't work so well with a good dose of foam extinguisher down its gullet."

She took a breath.

"But John I'll tell ya that little white knuckle ride busted my guts more than my first experience with re-entry …. _Sorry Nate forgot to say astronaut not GDF army or airforce_ … Anyhow Tracy, I packed jumpers and T's, so if you're picking me up groundside I'm prepared for all weathers."

The grin hadn't left, it intensified with every second talking to her, it was now threatening to bust out the side of his face. He hoped to god his pilot had enough to entertain him upfront and that there was no impulse to check the CCTV feed. Who was he kiddin'! It was Gordon! He cast a suspicious glance to the camera and turned his back to it just in case.

Answered in a whisper too. "That was the plan Ridley. Well, if you want me too and the GDF allow it." God, it occurred to him he was sharing this conversation with Air Marshall Nate, not quite the blessed privacy he'd hoped for. Maybe a good thing, at least he wasn't scaring her off with an unguarded burst of impulsiveness and embarrassing declarations that were several months too soon.

"Does this count?" Ridley ventured, her throat and insides still warm from the vodka celebration and her head spinning from what she assumed was the result of a game of oxygen chicken.

"Count as what?" John asked struggling to keep up the conversation with a woman drunk on surviving a near death experience and who'd celebrated with the hard stuff while riding a roller coaster of blood oxygen levels.

"The date, somewhere more interesting than dinner, you know. yada, yada, yada." Ridley giggled, "Sorry John, you've not caught me at my most serious or my best."

 _Date_!?

She was pressing fast-forward to the present. This was not some feint promise of something that they may do in the future.

"Cliff overlooking a fjord may just count, but still got a job to do, y'know. No time for R n R." John countered, his words failing to convey the party going in his gut that his hammering heart was requesting an invite too.

Silence hung. Could've kicked himself.

It sounded like he'd gone all cold-fish because she'd sunk a couple. Not that he was too embarrassed to admit how much this conversation meant to him while she had her old mate Nate sat right next to her. He completely understood the calling of a hit of a spirit to calm the nerves. He'd gone on a week-long bender after NASA had released him to leave after his first re-entry. Not textbook was the only way to describe it. Scary as hell but somehow the best experience of his life. A heady mixture of euphoria, still being around to tell the tale, and sensory overload as his strung out brain forced him to re-live the experience over and over again. All made too easy with his new found hero-status in Florida.

Put himself on _that_ flight and he may've secured a shot once the threat was over.

To his relief he heard deep intakes of breath. This time it was a necessary silent pause. He needed to kill the conversation so she'd keep the darn mask affixed to her face.

"Sorry John. I know there is. You need my help, you got it! Forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive Rid's." _Shit Rid's … RID'S! For the love of god John!_ He inwardly groaned as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Silence.

Ridley was content to hear the breathing down the phone, the awkward silence amused her. She knew this man better than he knew himself, and he had just given so much away. Felt like a school girl that had just realised she had the power to attract. It was all getting kinda serious in her head, so she brought it back to playful. "You'll get me away from the GDF escort when we land _Johnny_. Can't abide dotting the I's and crossing the T's, unless I'm officially on duty!"

He was grateful she'd dropped a nick-name of her own. Unlike when any of his brothers made the presumption, somehow coming from her, it wasn't annoying as hell.

"You feel OK?" John questioned, turning his attention to the one thing that he should probably have opened with.

"Had a good dose of self-prescribed medicine. I think I may regret it once they lecture me groundside. But yeah, fit as the proverbial fiddle."

If they got the GDF on side they would be free to make it to the base together. John laughed as relief kicked in. Ridley was more than fine and he would be seeing her in minutes.

"I'll come find you when we set you down." He settled for as an ending to their conversation.

"I expect nothing less Tracy! And I won't be hard to spot; I'll be the once zigzagging outta the aircraft. And y'know …looking forward to it. I've been looking forward to it since you called me at home and I decided to board this tin-can."

He hit the red button. Call end. Silence. Brain vocal as hell!

John spent the next few seconds staring at his phone, claiming a little time to return to his natural pallor before he made the return to the cockpit to a brother who would question him mercilessly. He was just about to make the stroll now pondering whether his pilot was the best person to ask about affairs of the heart when Gordon's voice broke into his thoughts.

"John, we have a signal! Virgil's just reached it and is directing the rescue boats to the ping. But they have their own men in the water. So we take care of our own."

John's mouth opened and closed nothing came out.

Gordon took up the slack.

"In the water. A signal. Scott's wrist comm and tracker back online! John we dump this bird and meet up with One. Prep two warming chambers."

John found his voice, "Two?"

Gordon swallowed hard, "One signal John, but you wanna get there and find out we need two and flip a coin?"

Gordon allowed him a minute to process while Vtols stopped the forward motion and he released the grapples and control of the flight to the ground crew and GDF authorities at the airport.

John rallied, "give me two minutes in the rescue seats and it'll improve the first aider to patient ratio!"

"You've got one." Gordon instructed, "Now Go!" He didn't need the script, knew exactly what John was asking _and_ why. If Penny had been on that flight there would be no questioning two minutes, even though her medical training was limited to plasters and dishing out medicinal brandy. "GDF request passenger Ridley O'Bannon is transported by us. Groundside medics don't need to assess her. Get her on the tarmac immediately." A little presumption without talking to Casey but he'd give John the two minutes requested. If those on the ground dragged their feet then they were outta here and John wouldn't argue.

…..

The decision had been taken in a split second. After all there had only been the one option available. If his father was taking the plunge then so was he.

Together. That was how it would end, together, but not before he'd put up one helluv a fight.

Damn or be damned! And Scott wondered if that sentiment would be fitting for his epitaph.

The shots fired off had given a satisfying thud into their targets, one last hurrah and one helluv a leaving present to the bastards that had thought his father disposable. Then he'd dropped his only weapon. A necessity to release his one lifeline from its housing in his bandolier, a canister designed to inflate on impact with water. Its primary function to throw to a casualty in the water until help arrived, rather than aid buoyancy to those fighting to reach the surface. Still, it gave something to put his faith into. He was rarely a pessimist. They had a fighting chance.

With his last breath as gravity welded her power over them, he shouted, 'Kick like fury' to the man he had his free arm around. Took a deep breath and felt the body of his father do the same. Scott hit the water hard, legs together in a well practiced pencil dive. No time to wonder if the man in his arms, that would've hit first, had enough cognitive function to enter the water in the same manner. The momentum pulled him down, the black canister released the balloon and the speed of descent stalled. Although late summer, and the North Sea was at its warmest, the shock on impact had his arms flailing for the surface. He let go of his father as primeval instinct negated the need to protect his charge. Brain's re-invention of the buoyancy-aid-in-a-can ensured the device that inflated on impact with water could hold the weight of a large man but he knew was pushing it with two dead weights. He kicked out. Fighting for the relief a lungful of air could give to his burning chest. One force he was clinging to was trying to reach the surface. The other, attached on a line snug to his hip, was limply resisting the air-in-a-bag to take them down. Scott kicked again. They were rising slowly, _they both need to kick out_. He kicked again, fighting the weight at the side of him to reach the surface with a one-armed swim stroke. He couldn't see in the murky waters but after a seconds panic he felt a movement to his side. The restrained man at the side of him joined forces using his two available limbs in the fight to see another day.

If Scott could've breathed right then, it would have been a heavy sigh of relief.

His lungs were protesting and they still hadn't breached the swell. He kicked harder, a more fluid motion with more force behind it. He pushed all thoughts of his father from his mind. Reaching the surface, that had to be his primary concern!

His life didn't flash before his eyes at this moment. Every story he'd ever heard about a drowning man had made him imagine his brain would be running 35mm black and white footage of his life from birth through to the moment his instinct had been to _try or die_ with his father.

Not so. Just one image. A woman with lustrous black hair at the side of him coaching him to fight with all he had. All energy was focused on forcing his limbs to push harder even though his lungs were begging for the intake of water that would finish him. Finish them both. She wouldn't allow it, her voice was screaming inside his head .. _fight Tracy … dammit … you fight!_

Then air hit his face. A cold slap.

His eyes adjusted to the light. His eyes searched the air above. No sign of the captive ship. Another breath was claimed. He took in the yellow aid on the surface with his numb fist clamped around the black canister. He turned.

Nothing.

His free hand scrabbled under the water. Took hold of clothing and hauled. A grey mop of hair broke free from its watery confinement.

There was no gasp from him to claim a lungful air.

Panic set in.

He could hear the muffled shouts of others in the water. Added his own, but couldn't wait for a response.

Against all instinct he closed his father's mouth with the arm supporting his chin, his lips sealed his charges nose and he exhaled. Released the pressure holding his father's mouth shut allowing escape while claiming another breath before repeating.

Again.

Waited hopefully for a sign of life.

Nothing! Dammit! He had no way of knowing if his father had a pulse. Which was probably a blessing. He was in no position to give compressions.

Oxygen.

That was all he could do. He repeated the action of breathing for his father. Didn't waste a breath shouting or pleading for a reaction. His energy was depleting with each attempt as the cold tightened her frigid fingers through his suit and around his core.

The next noise he heard he had read in news reports from survivor's testimony described as the sound of salvation. They weren't wrong.

Thunderbird One!

It was all he needed, he wasn't on his own. He tilted his father's face towards him and with renewed vigour gave another life-giving breath. "Virgil dad, just hold on, he's here!"

….

John ran into the medical facility, flicked down the lever that started the water feed to two of the four chambers that would gently warm when occupied. Then the air feed to the remaining two, if Gordon was hedging his bets then so was he.

 _Thirty seconds_.

He made his way to the rescue seats, released them from their constraints and took the ride down to the tarmac below.

 _Forty-five seconds_.

He watched a figure hit the slide, find her feet and run like hell fury. No need to shout encouragement, no zigzagging or stumbling steps either. A full on sprint. As the figure closed he extended an arm, took her weight and hit the button for the ascent back into the green giant.

 _Sixty-eight seconds_.

No words were exchanged. John hit the button to retract the seats.

"Thunderbird Two is good to go," He confirmed to the pilot, grateful he hadn't found it necessary to verbalise the countdown going on in his own head.

"FAB." The simple reply from a brother.

He felt the bird lift. Without the need to bark orders to the woman he'd negotiated the additional two minutes for, she followed his calm instructions. She released the medical carts and drugs tray from stowage one by one. While he fed the monitor feed into the docking stations of the chambers. He released two beds from the walls of the craft while she placed portable defibrillators next to them. Finally he prepped the drugs tray and ensured fluid bags were ready. No more instructions and still she demanded no explanation. He forced a smile, it was returned.

He scanned the bay searching for anything they may have missed.

Satisfied the job he had been given had been completed, he sagged slightly, used the wall to stop his jellified legs from dropping him to the floor. An arm surrounded his waist

"ETA Five minutes," the pilots voiced boomed into the speaker.

He took her hand to lead her to the cockpit. "Gordon's a better qualified medic than me, I'm gonna have to take the pilots chair. You comfortable as first aid responder?"

Ridley nodded.

John put his hand on the cockpit door, stopping to give his unquestioning companion a brief. "Scott's in the water."

Ridley brought him into her arms, "and soon he'll be in a flyin' ER." She lifted herself onto her toes, cradled his chin in her hand and left a brief kiss next to his lips, "Everything will be fine. Now let's get the latest update."

It wasn't the gentle kiss that answered his earlier questions. For the third time, without question, or looking for anything from him, she was there for him. It was how his family had always shown their love for each other. This type of love was not confusing or complex. It just was. It existed and it didn't need to be questioned.


	51. Chapter 51

Ch 51

Kayo took off the goggles and dumped the targeting controller to one-side, job done, move on. Alan was happy to continue the ride. For him, although he was in a living space thousands of miles away from the action, he was right there with his brother. He needed the contact with Virgil. Perhaps he needed to be doing something, however small, to feel part of this. Maybe, to stop his brain entering into thoughts that could not be allowed to invade. Whatever it was, he just needed the voice of a brother in his ear. But for Kayo negative thoughts had invaded, annexed and with the anticlimax from a brief burst of adrenaline, had brought her back down to earth with a thud. She did not do small, she was used to being in control. She rose surveying the room; she had to get out of there.

Penelope hovered behind Alan providing a steadying hand to his shoulder before delivering a gentle squeeze. A passing of strength from one body to another in a simple tactile gesture also deployed to convey a job well done. Something Alan needed to reinforce his part. It was something she should be delivering, but how could she when strength had all but deserted her. Her head pounded, eyes blurring but not with tears of defeat, the concentration to take one shot had taken its toll. One goddamned action akin to playing a vid game and she was done in and this was far from over, not even close. It was a side action. A victory leaving nothing to celebrate, regardless of the fact that there were passengers and crew that would forever be in their debt, safe and with a story to tell that would last their lifetime and perhaps beyond. In truth, they were a distraction while her uncle got away and went into hiding again. After all until he came into their own backyard he had never been close to capture. Top of the most wanted for years, a back catalogue so heinous that even the darkest of movie villains looked like a Disney caricature!

A movement caught her eye as she headed for her escape. Parker and their Grandmother were leaving the ring to attend to the prisoner, the action was over and the lives of the passengers were in safe hands. Life goes on. Even in their pain they would ensure the basic needs of _that_ woman. Kayo's blood boiled, anger flared, if it was up to her she would hang her from a silo and watch her legs kick out their last reflex. After all it was that bitches fault that she was in no position to join the mission. Shadow should have entered the fray flown by her, Scott would have been in One and if anyone had been captured it would have been her. And she would've dealt with her uncle; he always talked the talk before an action in her presence in the vain hope she would join him. Time he would rue as he took his last breath.

Her fists balled but there was little strength left in that action.

She left the others, Virgil had given her a mission, secure resources from the GDF and ensure John had free movement of the facility as soon as he landed. She chose to do it in privacy, found herself in the empty hanger. She paced the echoing cavern as she tried to patch a call through to a family friend. The only person in the GDF she trusted and yet the call went unanswered. For her, a stinging betrayal of that trust, testament to a shitty day getting all the shittier.

Surely Casey could spend a few minutes of her valuable time to discuss their next steps?

She flexed her fists, willing power into them, wanting to punch ten bells out of something. She needed to release the pent up aggression and punish her own failings. There were several people on the list for target practice if they had been there, the Colonel now one of them but a wall was her only option. The pain flared through her knuckles travelling past her elbow. It felt good. She wanted to do it again, to feel bones break. Fury ripped through her as she hit the inanimate substitute for her uncle, the bitch within their walls and a decorated colonel of the GDF. Her brother's had selflessly placed themselves in the danger zone. Saved over a hundred people when all they wanted was to touch down and gather intel. Find anything that would give them a new place to begin a search because now, now they had nothing. She nursed her swollen hand and mumbled a few choice words to the woman that still refused contact, kicked one of Brain's worker bots across the floor mid-rant. The hanger was no longer the place she wanted to be. Thunderbird Three, its sole inhabitant, looked as forlorn as she felt.

She didn't need or want company either. Couldn't even speak to Virgil to update him on the lack of response from Casey. Chose to send a non verbal update to One and Five instead.

It haunted her, that brief glimpse of her adoptive father, a man so altered, that she had barely recognised him. How many months would it take for Scott to take on the same lost, almost feral look. Would he even be seen as a valuable commodity? Thinking of him in such away seared through her heart. She knew her uncle. Whatever this was, whatever his end game, would the man that had been imprisoned because of them, because of her, really not take an opportunity for revenge? She knew him well enough to know that her uncle would have held that grudge from the moment the prison door slammed shut.

In her brief visit to lay that particular ghost to rest, her British friend had thrown a gauntlet … "she is no longer yours to taunt." …. His spine tingling retort "we shall see," a reply that still gave her shivers. Was Jeff and his own escape already a big part of the 'we shall see'? With Scott an unexpected delight in which to turn the screw. Ok, she had to admit that her Uncle was in no position to guess that her heart was owned by him. But still, his capture of the man that in a different universe she referred to as brother would still have been seen as a victory, a way to make the Tracy's pay. A way to make her pay!

She left the hanger through the rear lift that would take her to the bedrooms. She was pulled not to her own, but to one that she had rarely entered. Had certainly never entered it within the new bounds of their changed relationship, they hadn't had time to get there yet. They'd barely admitted their feelings to each other before she had stupidly succumbed to the nefarious plans of the blond given sanctuary in their own medical wing. She flung herself on the bed, grabbed his cologne off his bedside table and inhaled. Gifting one of her senses a reunion that her others would have to wait for.

May wait forever for.

'fight Tracy. Dammit you fight!' The desperate shrill of her own voice shocked her. She softened her voice, "please Scott. I need you." She wrapped the comforter around herself. Inhaled desperately seeking the musk of the man, but like his physical presence, it was gone. She was sure it was a result of the need for her grandmother to keep busy. She could imagine the few hours of distraction the bottoming out of the boys beds would've given her. A small insignificant action but in her grandmothers stoic mind, her boys would be back, and when they were, they would rest in fresh linen. She smiled at the thought but ached for the laundry that would have graced the floor while the fresh sheet was smoothed out and comforter angled welcomingly.

In lieu of arms around her and her head pressed against his heartbeat, his personal space was all she could claim. Kayo yearned for the essence of Scott. Yet she had nothing but an empty room, quite bare and functional apart from one of Virgil's canvases, her own smiling face looking down at her from his bedside cabinet, another of his parents and one of the five brothers together. A photo she had taken of them sitting at the pool edge, arms around each other in a time when they had allowed themselves to laugh again after the disappearance of their patriarch. Scott in the centre a blond at each end, all grinning like loons directly into the cameras lens. Captured in happiness, a feeling she felt sure she would never experience again.

At the centre, that's where he placed himself emotionally after the loss of his father. And he was now the centre of her world, but as unattainable as the molten core of their home sphere. She noticed the spots of blood that decorated the pillow from her self-inflicted injury. Red spots against the bright white. Stark contrast. Seeing something that indicated pain, allowed her tears to fall. An admission of defeat she had sofar only shared only with her grandmother. She bunched the pillow up under her thumping head, closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

….

It was a save.

Not the one Virgil desperately wanted, but a save nonetheless. Alan, remote flying Shadow at the side of him, was positively chipper, hardly taking a breath, as he relived the recent action. In the short term, thought processes hadn't formed to add weight to his slender shoulders while the victory was still fresh in his mind. If it was enough for his brother, then it should be just enough for him too.

It wasn't.

Although, comfort could be taken in hundred or so souls unaware of the reason for the timely catch of the Thunderbird fleet, this was far from being a result. They'd land, regroup and start the whole darn shebang again, from scratch, ground zero, this time without his crazy-ass, impulsive brother, otherwise known as his best friend and confidant to steer the plan. He made decisions like they were gifted from on high with a zero chance of failure proviso! Taking on the role of Field Commander with Scott out of action to be at the bedside of Kayo was one thing, but being left to shoulder it without the reassuring voice of his experienced elder brother only a few finger taps away, … well, that was a whole different ball game.

And he hated him for it.

Hated the fact that his brother's gung-ho mentality meant he was doing this alone, in a second-rate craft and without instruction. When all this was over, a plane safely on terra firma, submariners out of the water … he would be the one the others would look to for instruction. And short of deploying John into the abandoned base of those they were seeking, there would be no instructions to give. If Scott had of waited for them it would have been his call to make. Virgil shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

He couldn't help second guessing himself as his conscience beat a rallying cry for the elder. In that position would he have waited for backup?

Tough question and hindsight was never helpful other than at a debrief called to ensure a call was dealt with more efficiently the next time. But regardless the answer was no. Virgil flexed his hands around the controls, felt the vibration of the equally lost girl beneath him. Her own admonishment for his defeatist attitude maybe?

He was angry with nowhere to direct it, that was all. Virgil knew he was as much of an expert at talking himself down as he was a brother. Directing it at Scott was somehow part of that process, it stopped him being angry at himself when anger would do nothing to assist.

Yet, this had started because of him.

Agreeing to opening up their Island home to a stranger the GDF wanted to protect was his call, not Scott's. There was every reason to be angry at himself.

A curt message from Kayo briefly diverted his attention.

"Hey Virg, this is where I get off!" Alan busted into his thoughts with sunshine and positivity.

"You keep trying to getta a hold of Casey Al, I'm gonna need Brains on more than communications when I get to the wreck."

"You got it," The younger enthused.

"And Al, when Shadow is bedded down and a re-fuel secured, if the Colonel is still incommunicado. Timeout. Take a break and get some rest. I'll be onsite for a face to face debrief as soon as the rescue ship gets to the co-ordinates. That goes for Kayo too.

Casey's radio silence with Brains was gnawing at him; she'd been on the comms constantly throughout the action on land. Now, conspicuous by her absence since she had placed the order to ground all air traffic in the region. Casey was usually as reliable as a night following day, in the minutes since he'd diverted to a submarine, chocolate and fireguard came to mind.

But, in the interim he had brief, men in the water that needed rescue. He'd offered assistance because it was instinct … only this time he was in the wrong bird for the job. He started to wonder if he'd offered assistance to avoid being on the ground with nowhere to refocus efforts. Virgil's gaze shifted to the control panel showing the icon of Two. She was making steady progress with her cargo. Her ETA to Bergen International, less than 15minutes. A quick handover and she would be with him, 100km off the Danish coast, in another ten, less if Gordon pushed it. And, with a water rescue in the offing it was an odds on certainty that his little brother would want to get his fins wet.

Virgil gave a rolling salute to the pilotless form of Shadow as the black stealth craft broke their tight formation to head due East, as he made the turn South. His last view of her was a wing waggle reply, before she turned and their joint airspeed made her disappear from view. Alan may be thousands of miles away but Virgil had needed the distraction of his presence on the comms up until their paths divided. Virgil got the impression that if there had been enough juice in the girl to divert south with him, then his little brother would have made the diversion to battle zone simply to keep him company.

As one left him in the grey skies, another joined him in the cockpit.

"Brains," Virgil smiled; company was definitely to be welcomed. The pilot of the green fortress was used to a permanent fixture in the cockpit. The solo seat in his adopted craft was unfamiliar and lonely without a sometimes annoying ray of sunshine beside him. And too much alone time had allowed his mind wander to the unhealthiest of places.

"I've m…managed a b...brief contact with Colonel Casey. She has been s…summoned to a debrief. Colonel Maitland has called in the Brigadier General and the whole f…facility is on lock down. Casey fears she is looking at a court martial. She a..advises to proceed with caution at the b…base."

Virgil arched an eyebrow, "Court Martial…. Casey? ….. What grounds?" He almost barked.

"In the s..short contact I had she was a little c…cryptic, but the tech she was witness to in action at North Island, and her failure to summon us to give an account of their capabilities." Brains answered flatly. "The f…footage of Thunderbird One being targeted has been released to Maitland and he wants a head to roll. The fact we are h…holding a p…person of interest too."

"We had two needing urgent medical care! And the Colonel was not _officially_ privy to the extended visit of our houseguest." Virgil snapped, the obvious rebuff losing its edge to a man already aware of the timeline of events. "She may have guessed but they cannot be certain."

Virgil lifted his eyes to the distance, something stank of scapegoat. The stagnant whiff of someone covering his own back and drawing eyes to an easy target. Virgil felt his blood starting to boil and wondered whether that came with the territory of piloting his brother's craft.

"That's n…not all. You are to return to the base as soon as all s…submariners are a…accounted for, and are grounded until you have all made a witness statement."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! We stay long enough to give John time to access the data!"

Brains adjusted his glasses, "I s..suspect no data unless we p…play ball. It was Casey's p…promise not the GDF's."

Virgil's hand tightened at the controls. "Penny! Brains get Penny to contact the old duffer and find out what the hell is going on at that base! She has a history with him, ask her to use it."

"FAB."

Virgil attention shifted to the horizon.

"You'd better give me the latest."

"T..thiry-five on board, twenty survivor's in four dinghies. Ten listed as dead and five unaccounted for, f…feared down with the ship."

"Boat," Virgil corrected without thinking. His thoughts were drifting between a sudden loss of control of their own endeavours and the potential the grounding of his fleet miles away from home.

His fleet … shit!

"Boat … yes." Brains conceded.

"Sorry go on." Virgil encouraged. "Medical brief of those in the water? Any critical casualties?" Virgil questioned.

"E…exposure mainly. A Petty Officer took a flesh wound to the upper arm, f..friendly fire in the confusion. A Warrant Officer with severe hypothermia. They'll put up a flare to identify the most urgent need when you're onsite."

"You made contact with the Captain?"

Brains shifted his glasses again, "She went down with the b…boat, went after the four engineers trying to keep her afloat."

Virgil realised while he had cut his tracks across the North Sea from one danger zone to the other, his own engineer had been busy getting the intel on the situation he'd impulsively thrown himself into.

"Any contact?"

"None."

"Worth sending Gordon in," The naming of his brother diverted his attention back to the Icon of his own girl on the screen. He was nearly home free for the turnaround, three minutes to cargo drop off. "I'll update Two, we're gonna need her."

As his eyes refocused to the horizon he made out a dark blip which disappeared as quickly as he had noted it.

"Brains you pick that up?"

Virgil's heart hammered home, the bastards were still in the air above their recent destructive action and his craft was heading straight towards them!"

Tracker and comms," Brains almost screamed. "We have a signal!. You p..picking it up Virgil?"

Virgil had seen the on screen flicker, and as quickly as it caught his eye it disappeared. His eyes were straining, pinned to the display, willing it to come to life again. "Come on Scotty show me where you are." He pleaded. Seconds past, neither Mission Control nor Field Command uttered a word. A breath not inhaled or exhaled by either of them.

A red light flickered then held steady.

"In the water." Brains confirmed.

"Give me the callsign of the nearest dingy, we've got to get him out of the water."

Brain's patched in the feed, Virgil gave instructions while Brains fed the tracking data to the command of the small inflatable. Switched comms channel to confirm that they would be there in a few clicks to pick up the survivors that were most in need of a swift medevac. Then he changed frequency to his brother.

"Gordon we have him. Get out here ASAP!"

"What?"

"Scott's in the water. We need the medical facilities prepped and you out here as soon as you can."

Brain's you got control, Virgil instructed leaping from his seat. He grabbed the first aid kit, foil blankets, warming cubes and defib. Packaged them up in a watertight crate and placed them on the rig before rushing back to the cockpit as soon as the task was done.

"Brains, get them to signal when they have him. Don't want to kick up any spray while he's fighting to stay above the water. Get them to bring the dinghies together. When Gordon's on site we'll pick up anyone that can't wait for the Corvette to get to its mark."

A strange voice entered the cockpit confirming two casualties.

Two casualties!

Virgil hovered over the small boat, he didn't dare believe it. He concentrated on lowering the crate down to the dingy. Whoever the other was, and his gut was screaming that it had to be his father, he had delivered primary aid.

He checked his display. Gordon was in the air and making good speed.

This was when he missed his own crafts versatility the most. Two would be able to lower rescue seats and get those that needed immediate assistance off eight at a time. He was powerless, a voyeur to the scene below, providing a supply drop only.

God he hated the wait.

Radio traffic buzzed in his ears as those below gave an assessment of the newest casualties. Confirmation that the defib had been deployed as soon as they had received the package froze his heart. He stopped short of screaming to Gordon to get his arse in gear. Evidence pointed to the fact that Two was being flown within an inch of its life.

An ETA of five minutes.

It was the longest five minutes of Virgil's life. Panic only stalled as contact from below confirmed the struggling casualty had taken a breath and evacuated water. He hoped to god it was from his stomach and not his lungs. Virgil tried to keep his mind in check. He had supplied pain med, anti inflammatory, penicillin shots but no anti edema meds.

He relayed the information to his brother, "One patient in threat of secondary downing. Make sure you have all you need on the trays and a medi-bracelet to get all vitals to Five. And Gordon…. You do your best ok, whatever the outcome none of this is on you."

Could've kicked himself. Scott would never let negativity pore through the comms like a dark fog taking a strangle hold on the rescue.

Static.

Virgil watched through the glass below as the four lifesaving crafts tied off to form one target for his brother when he got here.

The giant craft roared overhead.

"Thunderbird Two on site and ready to medevac." The pilot's voice had changed. "Time to let me have sight on target." John requested. "Assume holding position, as soon as we have patient status you'll have it too."

Virgil brought One around and took up a position above and to the right her sister craft to allow a view below. He watched the painfully slow descent of the rescue seats then Gordon filling five of the eight chairs with casualties.

Virgil couldn't stay sidelined any longer. He flew in a wide arc alongside the rescue seats. Watched as they entered the main bird then instructed John to lower them again. Gave Brain's control of his bird and instructions to pilot her back to the Island. He targeted his line to the frame, pulled the lock secure and jumped from the opened cockpit of One.

Gordon would not shoulder this responsibility alone. They would stand shoulder to shoulder and face it together. All return home together in one craft.

…

Kayo woke with a start.

"Both of them." Penelope almost screamed as she entered the room, "Kayo your father and Scott are in Thunderbird Two and on their way to a medical facility at the base."

"What?" She stuttered awake not quite certain if she was playing a role within a vivid dream.

Penelope walked towards her and sat on the bed beside her. "Scott's safe, as well as can be expected. I'm sure he would love to hear from you."

"Injured?"

"Bruised ribs and cheekbone, mild hypothermia. He can talk, so why don't you talk to him and meet us back down in the ring."

"Wait! Dad?" Kayo pleaded.

Penelope sighed, "They are doing everything they can. We pray, peruse the initial assessment and get the right specialist to him as soon as possible. I am waiting for the data and will make the arrangements as soon as I know what is needed." Penelope got to her feet and gave a squeeze to her shoulder, "He will be fine."

Kayo watched her leave, her heart hammering out of her chest. There was good news but she also sensed Penelope was skirting around the issue of her father. Embracing the positive, she pressed her comms bracelet selecting a private patch to the Thunderbird One pilot.

"Scott?" Her voice was tentative, uncertain of what damage had been done to the emotion of the other, "Scott baby, you found him." She encouraged while looking over every inch of the haggard, holographic figure. The start of a dark beard etched with silver on his jaw. A purplish bruise to his cheekbone and eye socket, exhaustion painted in deathly white over the rest.

He opened his mouth to speak. His voice cracked, nothing came out. If she'd had a transport she'd have flown straight out to be with him, grounded or not.

"S'ok baby, it's ok we have you."

His eyes met hers, glistening with tears that threatened to spill.

"Close your eyes honey." Kayo soothed. "I'm there wrapping my arm around you. He'll be ok. Stay strong. You'll both be home soon."

A weak smile.

"I love you honey. Get some rest."

"I can't Kay. S'not good. He's alive but critical, the next 24 hours …." A tear spilled from his closed eyes.

"He's the original fighter Scott. Where'd you think you and the others get it from? You'll be busted back down to second in command before you know it. You with him now?"

"He's in the chamber."

"Wish I was with you." Kayo gently nudged hoping he'd open up.

"You are." Scott whispered.

"You know what I mean. You're exhausted, let them look after you." Kayo stated aware of the begging tone her voice had adopted.

"I'll speak to you when we know more. Look after you too, Kay"

"Okay"

"Love you."

"Ditto." Kayo responded as his glow left the room.


End file.
